Mumbai, 24 March: The Marketing + Media Alliance (MMA) proudly announces that entries are now open for SMARTIES™ India 2026, the national edition of the global SMARTIES™ Awards that recognises work that drives measurable business impact. SMARTIES™ honours the boldest brands, agencies and marketers across India who combine creativity, data and media to deliver tangible growth.
As marketing evolves through the integration of technology, creativity, data and media, the SMARTIES™ framework has been updated for 2026 to reflect how marketing organisations operate today and how impactful work is delivered. Continuing its mission to recognise marketing that drives growth and shapes the future of the industry, SMARTIES™ 2026 positions the awards as a unified global benchmark while allowing India to spotlight the work that best represents our market.
SMARTIES™ 2026 Channels
The programme is organised into four key channels that reflect the pillars of marketing excellence today:
Purpose Driven Marketing
Campaigns that leverage brands to drive meaningful societal and cultural impact — from sustainability to diversity and inclusion.
Impact Marketing
Work that delivers measurable business outcomes by strengthening brand relationships, improving customer experience and driving growth.
Media & Growth
Excellence in media strategy and execution — showing how integrated media ecosystems reach, engage and grow audiences.
Creative & Innovation Impact
Breakthrough marketing powered by creativity, data and emerging technologies to create new forms of brand engagement.
“India is one of the most dynamic marketing environments in the world — shaped by scale, cultural complexity and constant reinvention. What defines the best work here is its ability to turn local insight into ideas that are creatively strong and commercially successful . SMARTIES exists to recognise that standard: marketing that moves people, shifts markets and delivers measurable business impact. I invite brands, agencies and teams across India to submit campaigns that did more than capture attention — campaigns that made a real difference to brands, businesses and the industry.” – Moneka Khurana, Country Head & Board Member, MMA Global India
Beyond the trophy: Industry recognition & global rankings
Winning a SMARTIES™ Award offers more than prestige. Awarded campaigns will be featured in the MMA SMARTIES Business Impact Index and recognised across platforms such as RECMA and the WARC Media 100 Ranking — amplifying the work’s credibility and influence.
Showcase your marketing excellence — submit today:
Key details for SMARTIES™ India 2026 entries:
On-time deadline: 9 July 2026
>Awards & honours: Gold, Silver and Bronze in each category; top honours such as Best in Show, Juror’s Choice Award of the Year, Advertiser of the Year, Brand of the Year and Agency honours.
>Judging panel: Senior brand marketers and industry leaders will evaluate entries on creativity, innovation and measurable business impact. The Business Impact Index sits at the heart of our evaluation, ensuring business outcomes matter.
>Entry levels: SMARTIES™ X Global; Regional SMARTIES™; and National SMARTIES™ — spotlighting the best campaigns in India.
Marketers, agencies and brands across India are encouraged to submit their best work and gain industry-wide recognition.
Read more: MMA India’s Board-Directed Growth Agenda For 2026
