Advertising veteran, Roda Mehta, will be honoured with the prestigious ‘Lifetime Achievement Award 2017’, by the acclaimed Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), on 14^th July, 2017 in Mumbai, for her legendary and pioneering role in establishing scientific media planning and buying in India; and building a whole generation of media professionals for the advertising industry. This award is the highest honour given to an Indian for outstanding contribution to the Advertising Industry.

Roda Mehta started her career with Hindustan Thompson Associates in 1971 and became the first MBA and first woman in the media function of an advertising agency in India. She moved to Ogilvy Benson and Mather in 1975 and rose from strength to strength, acing her career with distinguished roles, pioneering along the way, outdoor planning and buying and set up a rural media network to service client requirements.

Nakul Chopra, President, AAAI said, “Mehta is a pioneer in more ways than one. This award is well-deserved recognition for the stellar leadership she provided our industry and our eco-system for over two decades, during which time she also nurtured a whole generation of professional talent.” Members of AAAI’s Selection Committee for this award included Sam Balsara, Srinivasan Swamy, Ambi Parameswaran and Chopra.

She has held leadership positions across numerous prestigious committees and associations within and outside the Ad-industry, including Expert Committee on TV Marketing (Doordarshan and All India Radio); Market Research Society of India (MRSI); Technical Committee of the Media Research Users Council (MRUC); Advisory Board, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (Govt of India); AAAI’s Media Disputes Committee; and Economic Times’ Advisory Panel. A celebrated speaker at Industry conferences and seminars, she served as faculty on training programmes run by Ogilvy and Mather India and Asia Pacific. Roda has bagged numerous prominent awards including the David Ogilvy Award for Asia Pacific and Agency of the Year Award (Public Service) 1992 for the National Literacy Mission campaign.

She currently works with numerous non-profit organisations and is a Trustee at the Lila Poonawalla Foundation, which provides scholarships and mentoring to economically challenged girls from Maharashtra for post-graduate, graduate/diploma and secondary school education.