The Indian Society of Advertisers will host its biennial ISA CEO Conference on 10 December 2026 in Mumbai, bringing together around 200 senior business leaders to examine artificial intelligence’s growing influence on enterprise strategy. Under the theme ‘AI in Action’, the conference will explore leadership challenges, responsible adoption and opportunities for business transformation.
The growing influence of artificial intelligence on business strategy and corporate decision-making will take centre stage at the 2026 edition of the Indian Society of Advertisers’ (ISA) biennial CEO Conference. Scheduled for 10 December at ITC Maratha in Mumbai, the full-day gathering will bring together some of India’s prominent business leaders to examine how organisations can translate the possibilities of AI into measurable business outcomes.
Titled ‘AI in Action: Leadership Challenges and Opportunities’, the conference will focus on the enterprise-wide adoption of artificial intelligence and its implications for business operations, competition, innovation and value creation. The event is expected to attract approximately 200 senior executives, including chief executive officers, chief marketing officers, managing directors, media heads and representatives from digital platforms.
The conference comes at a time when artificial intelligence is moving beyond experimental applications and becoming an increasingly important consideration in corporate boardrooms. From marketing and customer engagement to manufacturing, operational efficiency and strategic planning, AI is reshaping established business practices. However, the challenge for organisations is no longer simply whether to adopt the technology, but how to integrate it effectively into their business models.
The speaker line-up reflects the conference’s emphasis on bringing together perspectives from different sectors. Among the prominent participants are Rajesh Jejurikar, executive director and chief executive officer of the auto and farm sector at Mahindra & Mahindra; Kumar Venkatasubramanian, chief executive officer and managing director of P&G India subcontinent; and Manish Choksi, vice-chairman of Asian Paints.
The conference will also feature Ravi Swarup, senior partner at Bain & Company, and Srikanth Velamakanni, whole-time director, group chief executive and executive vice-chairman of Fractal Analytics. Their participation is expected to bring together perspectives spanning corporate leadership, consulting, consumer businesses and technology-driven analytics.
For the advertising and marketing industry, the discussions assume particular significance. Artificial intelligence is transforming how brands understand consumers, develop creative campaigns, analyse market behaviour and measure advertising effectiveness. At the same time, automation, data-driven decision-making and generative AI are raising important questions about organisational capabilities, workforce preparedness, accountability and the future of human creativity.
Sunil Kataria, chairman of ISA, underlined the importance of approaching AI as a strategic leadership priority rather than merely a technological investment.
He observed that artificial intelligence was increasingly becoming a boardroom priority, with far-reaching implications for how businesses operate, compete and create value. He emphasised that business leaders must understand where AI can make the greatest difference, how it can be integrated responsibly into organisations and how employees can be prepared for a rapidly changing business environment.
This distinction between adopting technology and achieving meaningful transformation is likely to be central to the conference’s discussions. Successful AI integration requires more than investment in platforms and tools. It calls for leadership commitment, organisational restructuring, appropriate governance frameworks and continuous employee learning.
The gathering also provides an opportunity for leaders across industries to exchange experiences and examine practical approaches to emerging challenges. As businesses increasingly experiment with AI-powered solutions, questions surrounding trust, transparency, data responsibility and human oversight are becoming critical to sustainable adoption.
Through the 2026 conference, ISA aims to bring these conversations into the mainstream of corporate leadership. Its central message is clear: the future of business will not be determined simply by access to artificial intelligence, but by the ability of leaders to deploy it intelligently, responsibly and strategically.
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