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India’s Leading Voice for Advertisers Since 1952
For over 70 years, the Indian Society of Advertisers has represented and protected the interests of organisations shaping India’s advertising, marketing and media landscape. We champion responsible communication, uphold the principles of self-regulation and ensure advertisers can engage their audiences with transparency and trust. Through advocacy, insights and a powerful network of industry leaders, ISA continues to drive progress and strengthen the foundations of effective, ethical advertising in India.
Our Mission
To safeguard the interests of brands by promoting efficient, effective, and ethical advertising practices that deliver measurable business impact whilst protecting your investments from undue costs and regulations.
Established Legacy
Our legacy spans from traditional media to the digital age, ensuring advertiser interests remain Paramount.
Who can Join?
Any organization or individual involved in advertising, marketing or media in India
Learn about ISA MembershipObjectives Of ISA
- To promote, maintain and uphold ethical and economic discipline in advertising.
- To represent, protect, inform and guide advertisers in all matters related to advertising.
- To provide education to members and/or the general public on advertising, publicity, and allied matters.
- To help formulate and promote laws, codes and standards of advertising practice.
- To monitor and measure media and to encourage the development of new media.
- To promote or oppose legislative and other measures affecting advertising, trademarks etc. and related matters.
Upholding sound ethical and economic principles of advertising
- ISA has been one of the founders of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), which lays down and enforces the code of self-regulation in advertising based on defined guidelines, including truthfulness in advertising, safeguard against misleading/offensive representations and promotion of hazardous products, as also observance of fairness in competition while protecting the consumers’ right to be informed of choices.
- As a member of the WFA, it has been engaged in the global discussion on use of women and children in advertising.
- It has been ensuring that economic principles are upheld through fair competition and good advertising practices for public good, with advertisers advised to have principal to principal basis agreements.
Representing and protecting the interest of members
ISA works actively for protecting the interest of members and public good and protect the sanctity of the Principal-to-Principal nature of the Agency-Advertiser relationship. Some of those actions are:
- During 2004 ISA intervened to negate the attempt by Government to allow the airing of only those pharmaceutical product commercials on DD which were specifically approved by the Health Ministry.
- ISA restrained a move by the AAAI to mandate pitching fees for speculative presentations by Agencies (2008).
- ISA got NBA (News Broadcasters Association) to agree not to put commercial message ticker under TV ad and got Breaking News ticker size under TV ad restricted (2009).
- ISA along with AAAI convinced I&B Ministry not to impose frequency change in TAM's TRP reporting from Weekly to Monthly, as was demanded of TAM by IBF/NBA (2011).
- ISA’s submission in 2025 containing key concerns and feedback on the Draft Amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, relating to synthetically generated information.
Providing education to members and knowledge sharing
- ISA provides continuous information to its members through multiple webinars, publications, workshops/seminars and industry events and conferences.
- Examples include Global CEO Conferences, webinars , Knowledge series and such other activities.
- We also hold joint events with other organizations like IAA, ASCI, IAMAI and WFA for benefit of industry members and also thereby in the interest of public utility.
- ISA's Executive Council includes major advertisers in the country. Regular meetings and larger events are held for networking and sharing of views and best practices
- The ISA is one of the promoters of the ASCI Academy.
- Close co-ordination with WFA brings global best practices, speakers and systems to the advertisers and partners.
To help formulate and promote laws, codes and standards of advertising practice
- ISA is one of the founders of the ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India), which has issued advertising code and monitors compliance to the same.
- ISA is one of the founder members of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and has been engaged in the global discussion on use of women and children in advertising.
- During 2007, ISA pro-actively interacted with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to have incorporated in the Cable TV Networks Regulation Act 1995 that the violation of the ASCI code will be seen as a violation of the said Act.
- ISA has also led development of various codes of advertising practice that include the joint development of measurement and monitoring systems, guidelines for best practices, etc. ISA has developed a detailed Media Charter including on subjects like Brand Safety, Viewability, Ad fraud and First Party Data as also model agency agreement for the benefit of members.
To promote or oppose legislative and other measures affecting advertising
- Government of India 3 times in the past (1965, 1978 and 1983) attempted to impose a tax on advertising. ISA led the advertiser voices and along with ecosystem got such laws repealed. During 2001, the Government imposed a service tax on TV ads for all broadcasting channels, who in turn attempted to pass it on to the advertisers. ISA took up the issue and got broadcasters not to charge service tax over and above contracted rates.
- During 2004, the ISA escalated Broadcasting Service Taxation issue to the Finance Ministry, pointing out the cascading effect of this on consumer prices due to the double-taxation effect through CENVAT. The ISA succeeded in persuading the Government to allow the set-off of all Service Tax paid on inputs like advertising, promotion, market research etc.
- Again in 2004, the ISA, through active interaction with the All India Radio authorities, helped defer an unjustifiable proposal to increase the rates. In 2007 ISA strongly opposed and won against the 25% ad hoc rate hike by IBF members.
- In 2009 ISA along with other related industry associations managed to get the Maharashtra Government retract from levying Stamp Duty on advertising placed in Print, Radio and TV via filing a petition in the Mumbai High Court. Subsequently in 2017, SLP was jointly filed in Honourable Supreme Court of India for stay in stamp duty case and stay obtained.
- ISA has created a Public Policy committee of the EC members to address such issues on an ongoing basis
To monitor and measure media
ISA has been at the forefront of developing systems along with industry bodies to monitor and measure the media and drive efficiency and effectiveness. Illustrations include:
- ISA has encouraged a single currency in the measurement of TV audiences and Press readerships to allow comparisons of cost efficiency between vehicles.
- ISA took the lead in establishing a Joint Industry Body (JIB) to set up the first continuous TV audience measurement survey with TAM. It also seeded a Technical Committee to drive improvements in sampling procedures, confidentiality of the sample panels, auditing of reported data and width of coverage.
- ISA along with IBDF and AAAI is founder and promoter with a 20% stake, of the Broadcast Audience Research Council, India (BARC) which conducts Television Audience Research since 2014.
- ISA in July 2013 ensured that access of weekly reporting of TV TRP data is continued after TV broadcasters forced TAM to start reporting TV audience data only in terms of number of viewers and on monthly basis.
- ISA was instrumental in organizing the first National Readership Survey in India.
- ISA has a Media Forum consisting of media specialists from member organisations to address media related aspects. ISA has also created a sub-committee for assessing and helping develop cross-media measurement system jointly with industry bodies based on global practices.
Partner Associations
As a founding member of key industry pillars, we shape the very frameworks that govern Indian advertising. Our goal is to uphold advertising ethics, ensure measurement transparency and connect our members to the best global networks and practices.
Partnering Associations
World Federation of Advertisers (WFA)
Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC)
News Broadcasters Association (NBA)
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)
Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI)
The Advertising Club Bombay (ACB)
The Indian Broadcasters Federation (IBF)
International Advertising Association
Media Research User Council of India
The Indian Newspaper Society User Council of India
Internet And Mobile Association of India
Partner Associations
ISA is a founding member of the WFA, and partners with other such associations to service its members.
World Federation of Advertisers (WFA)
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI)
Internet And Mobile Association Of India
Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI)
Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC)
International Advertising Association
Media Research Users Council India
News Broadcasters Association (NBA)
The Advertising Club Bombay (ACB)
The Indian Broadcasters Federation (IBF)
The Indian Newspaper Society
Background & Current Status
Founded in 1952 by a group of leading advertisers, The Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) has operated for over 70 years as a not-for-profit company under Section 25, exempt from Income Tax as a recognised industry body (Section 11 of the 1.T. Rules 10 (23).
From its original eight founding members, ISA has grown into a nationwide community of 100+ major advertisers, including many of India’s most respected private and public sector brands. Today, ISA’s membership represents more than two-thirds of India’s total annual advertising spend, making it the country’s most influential collective of brand owners.
Bata Shoe Company, Calcutta
R. Ray, Publicity Manager
Birla Bros. Ltd., Calcutta
Gangadhar Makheria, Secretary & Chief Accountant
Corn Products Co. (India) Ltd., Bombay
P.H. Brown, Director
Glaxo Laboratories (India) Ltd., Bombay
R. A. Haryott, Director
Parle Products Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Bombay
P. Mohanlal, Director
Polson Ltd., Bombay
Lt. Col. J.D. Kothawala, Director
Tata Industries Ltd., Bombay
F.S. Mulla, Public Relations Officer
West End Watch Co., Bombay
M.R. Bavier, Esq., General Manager
Background & Current Status
Founded in 1952 by a group of leading advertisers, The Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) has operated for over 70 years as a not-for-profit company under Section 25, exempt from Income Tax as a recognised industry body (Section 11 of the 1.T. Rules 10 (23).
From its original eight founding members, ISA has grown into a nationwide community of 100+ major advertisers, including many of India’s most respected private and public sector brands. Today, ISA’s membership represents more than two-thirds of India’s total annual advertising spend, making it the country’s most influential collective of brand owners.
Bata Shoe Company, Calcutta
R. Ray, Publicity Manager
Birla Bros. Ltd., Calcutta
Gangadhar Makheria, Secretary & Chief Accountant
Corn Products Co. (India) Ltd., Bombay
P.H. Brown, Director
Glaxo Laboratories (India) Ltd., Bombay
R. A. Haryott, Director
Parle Products Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Bombay
P. Mohanlal, Director
Polson Ltd., Bombay
Lt. Col. J.D. Kothawala, Director
Tata Industries Ltd., Bombay
F.S. Mulla, Public Relations Officer
West End Watch Co., Bombay
M.R. Bavier, Esq., General Manager





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