CAG indicts AAP ad spend: What lies ahead?
As per a yet-to-be-tabled report of the Comptroller & Auditor General, Delhi government’s advertising spending is not in consonance with the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court

The controversy surrounding Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government’s spending on advertisements is refusing to die down. Last week, various sections in the media reported on what was termed as a “yet-to-be-tabled” report of the Comptroller & Auditor General concerning Delhi government’s ad spend.
As per the extracts of the report reproduced in the media, the CAG found the advertisements put out by the AAP government in complete dissonance with the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court.
“Test check of records of the GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi) brought out expenditure of Rs 24.29 crore on advertisement and publicity campaigns that were not in conformity of fundamental principles governing expenditure from public funds and guidelines approved by the Hon’ble Supreme Court,” the CAG said.
The government auditor went on to chastise the Delhi government for spending on advertisements outside of its territory. “Over 85 per cent of the expenditure of Rs 33.40 crore incurred in one specific publicity campaign pertained to advertisements released outside the NCT of Delhi, which was beyond the responsibility of the GNCTD,” the report added.
Speaking to sources in poll-bound Punjab where AAP is seeking power for the first time, exchange4media had earlier reported that Arvind Kejriwal’s party had spent as much as Rs 2.5 lakh on full page advertisements. Ironically, the CAG’s revelations have come just days after CM Kejriwal stated that AAP did not have enough money to fight elections in Goa.
Former BBC broadcaster and legal expert Dhiranjan Malvey pointed out that the advertising blitzkrieg unleashed by AAP was something which was quite visible to the citizens of Delhi. “Misuse of government machinery for personal promotion was very much obvious,” he said referring to ads issued by AAP to promote schemes like odd-even.
Elaborating on the role of the CAG, Malvey explained that it was a constitutional body responsible for probity in the accounts of the state and central government. “In this particular case since Delhi is a Union Territory, the CAG report besides being discussed in the Delhi Assembly should be tabled before the Union Parliament which will refer it to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC),” he added.
Having appeared before the PAC several times as a legal representative of Prasar Bharati, he mentioned that PAC goes through every bit of the report. “They call concerned officials on the basis of evidence and make recommendations. It can lead to legal repercussions and CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) enquiry,” he said.
But the Delhi government has so far remained defiant and pleaded innocence. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia rebutted the allegations on the floor of the Delhi Assembly and asked Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and other political leaders to apologize for falsely claiming that the CAG had found corruption in Delhi government’s advertisements.
Daring the CAG, Sisodia said, “CAG may conduct a comparative analysis of spending on advertisement by Delhi government and that of other state governments which will clear the air on the issue.” However, the litmus test suggested by Sisodia may not be able to settle the debate once and for all owing to the ambiguous nature of government advertising as observed by the Supreme Court.
“This Court acknowledged the fact that the dividing line between permissible advertisements that are a part of government messaging and advertisements that are “politically motivated” may at times get blurred,” the SC stated in May 2015.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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