Goafest 2026 opened on a high-energy note yesterday, bringing together leaders from advertising, media, marketing and business for a day of industry discussions, entertainment and awards, with the festival placing a strong emphasis on the theme ‘Reset for Growth’.

The first day featured keynote conversations on Brand India, consumer behaviour, women’s leadership in sport and the future of professional consumers, alongside performances, networking events and the opening leg of the ABBY Awards 2026 Powered by The One Club | The One Show.

Jointly hosted by the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club (TAC), the festival began with a champagne popping ceremony attended by delegates from across the country. A live performance by Sukhbir, presented by Mediakart with Spotify Advertising as Streaming Partner in association with B4U, set the tone for the opening day.

The official inauguration included ceremonial lamp lighting and a welcome address by the organising committee. Srinivasan K Swamy, Executive Group Chairman of R. K. Swamy Ltd and President of AAAI, addressed delegates at the 19th edition of the festival, which also marked the fifth year of collaboration between The ABBY Awards and The One Club | The One Show.

The organisers also paid tribute to advertising veterans Piyush Pandey and Arun Nanda for their contribution to Indian advertising.

One of the central sessions on Day 1, titled ‘Resetting Brand India: From Growth Story to Growth Strategy’, featured Dr Rajiv Kumar, Chairman of Pahle India Foundation and former Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog; Padma Shri Prasoon Joshi, Chairman, Omnicom Advertising India and Chairman, Prasar Bharti; and Nikhil Sharma, Managing Director, Perfetti Van Melle India, in conversation with NDTV Managing Editor Padmaja Joshi.

Speakers highlighted India’s growing confidence, the importance of innovation and manufacturing, and the need to build global brands originating from India. Kumar said India’s next phase of growth would be driven by private entrepreneurs, while Prasoon Joshi stressed that “Atmanirbhar Bharat is a necessity, not just a slogan”. Nikhil Sharma said India’s consumer market continued to be driven by affordability, but added that stronger innovation and premium-quality Indian products were needed to drive value growth.

‘Another key session, “Resetting the Limits of What’s Possible’, presented by Sony LIV and powered by Sakal Media Group in association with Dainik Jagran, featured Indian women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur in conversation with Mandira Bedi. Harmanpreet spoke about leadership, resilience and the growth of women’s cricket in India, saying the 2017 Women’s World Cup had become a major turning point for visibility and support for the sport.

Reflecting on her career, she said her unbeaten 171 against Australia in 2017 inspired many girls to take up cricket and underlined the importance of honesty, commitment and trusting the process.

LinkedIn also hosted a keynote session titled ‘Meet the Indian Prosumer; Reaching High-Value Professional Consumers’, where Dave Yang, Managing Director-SMB & Mid Market-APAC, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, spoke about the rise of India’s ambitious professional consumer.

Yang said India accounts for one in five LinkedIn members globally, with nearly 3,900 new professionals joining the platform every hour. He said career milestones such as promotions and new roles were increasingly shaping consumption behaviour and creating opportunities for brands, particularly across premium and luxury categories.

Yang also highlighted the growing role of AI-driven discovery and the importance of trusted voices and authentic storytelling in influencing consumer decisions.

The organisers, in a media statement, said Goafest 2026 continued to evolve as a platform for collaboration, creativity and industry dialogue. They highlighted that the ongoing partnership between The Advertising Club and The One Club | The One Show had elevated the ABBY Awards to higher levels of global recognition. This year’s edition received around 4,000 entries from nearly 300 companies. The ABBY Awards 2026 Powered by The One Club | The One Show: Publisher & Media Abby was powered by Z in association with Times Network.