Mumbai, March 26^{th :} ET Edge, founded to empower multiple industries and segments through the dispersion of critical business knowledge via strategically developed conferences and summits, held the ‘Economic Times Most Promising Brands 2015’ at Sahara Star Hotel today.

The Summit was marked by the presence of leaders from the sector, who discussed some key topics relevant to the sector, such as “Be Distinct or Be Extinct- Innovations leading to Brand Loyalty.”

Speaking on the occasion, Deepak Lamba, President, Times Conferences Limited, said, “India is a fast paced country and corporates are taking greater risks, charting new paths and embracing entrepreneurship fully. Needless to say, this new age India witnesses an emergence of a list of initiatives that have left a strong imprint on the market along with redefining consumer paradigms. What we sought to understand though was what went into the making of these promising brands, and through the Economic Times Most Promising Brands seeks to decode a brand’s DNA and pinpoint the upcoming brands of our age.”

Some of the notable figures who were in attendance included Elsie Nanji (Managing Partner, Red Lion Publicis), Sam Balsara (Chairman, Madison World), Alok Kejriwal (Founder, Games2Win), Arvind Vohra (Country Head, Gionee Mobiles), Sonal Dabral (Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Mudra Group) & Ajay Kaul (CEO, Jubilant Food Works) among others.

This summit was attended by 100 + luminaries of the marketing, advertising and branding spectrum (CEO’s, CMO’s, Digital Marketing Heads, Academicians, Media Buyers, Product Heads, Brand Managers & Brand Consultants) from the industry, thus affording delegates the ideal opportunity to learn from the leading minds of the industry and network with them at leisure.

Sam Balsara, Chairman, Madison World said that, “It gladdens me to see that it’s not just the big brands that are embarking on brand-building initiatives, but also the thousands of smaller brands across the country that are doing so. They are seeing the value in investing in their brand and this is very heartening to see.”

On the occasion of Goibibo winning the ET Promising Brands Award 2015, Mr. Ashish Kashyap, Founder & CEO of the Ibibo Group which owns Goibibo.com says, “Innovation and speed are core to our brand DNA. Despite being a late entrant, Goibibo today has created a significant mind and market share, driven by its core tenant of providing the “fastest” consumer experience making us the leading online travel player in the country and clear number 1 Travel mobile app.”

The discussion on “Be Distinct or Be Extinct-Innovations leading to Brand Loyalty’” saw the panel discussing what goes into the making of Promising Brands. The panel was in agreement that these brands have constantly been able to innovate, to adapt and leverage the ever changing marketplace. They have also been able to innovate in terms of product, pricing, solutions, business models, packaging, delivery, placement and more. This has led to their acceptance in the market place resulting in a strong following, healthy profit margins and rapid expansion plans.

This platform also felicitated entrepreneurs and brand guardians that have lead these brands to the stature of being the Most Promising. Some of the brands felicitated included Adani Fortune Oil, Asian Granito Ltd., Axis Bank, American Swan, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, British Biologicals, Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance, Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance, Creambell, Dish TV, Gionee, Flipkart and several others. This occasion was marked by the launch of a coffee table book that recognized the emergence of these brands. .This ceremony was followed by a networking session as well.

About ET Edge: Times Conferences Ltd. functional under the brand name ET Edge is an Economic Times subsidiary, founded to empower multiple industries and segments by sharing critical business knowledge through strategic conferences and summits. Encompassing the Indian business vista, ET Edge would strive to bring together visionaries and key leaders on its knowledge platforms to create social and business ecology, conducive to the positive changes required by the industry. The main aim of this initiative is to channel global business intelligence through summits and conferences in overarching lectures, hands-on workshops, panels, roundtables and case studies. The forums would ensure senior decision makers are equipped with information to respond to challenges they face not just in India but also globally.