Guwahati outdoor media owners restructure Advertising Association of North-East (AANE)
By Ria Banerjee - May 21, 2020
The restructured committee AANE has appealed to the Guwahati Metropolitan and Development Authority (GMDA) minister for a waiver of advertising tax for the current year
The economic crisis affecting the outdoor advertising industry in the North-East India market, first caused by the anti-CAA movement in Q4 FY20-21 and followed by the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak prompted Guwahati media owners to restructure the Outdoor Advertising Association of North East (ANNE). The reconstituted association has 5 members in the governing bod and 8 in the executive body.
The Governing body as follows:
Post
|
Member
|
Name of Agency
|
Designation
|
President
|
Dilip Kalita
|
Delta Publicity
|
Proprietor
|
Vice President
|
Dipu Choudhary
|
Vista Advertising
|
Proprietor
|
General Secretary
|
Nitin Jain
|
Prodigy Communications & Marketing Pvt. Ltd.
|
Managing Director
|
Assistant Secretary
|
Anuj Kr. Singha
|
M/s Logo
|
Proprietor
|
Treasurer
|
Aditya Agarwal
|
Shiv Media
|
Proprietor
|
The Executive body as follows:
Member
|
Name of Agency
|
Designation
|
Pradip Puri
|
S P Enterprise
|
Proprietor
|
Mukesh More
|
Outreach Advertising Pvt. Ltd.
|
Director
|
Palash Baruah
|
Sahayatri
|
Proprietor
|
Rajib Baishya
|
R D Advertising
|
Proprietor
|
Abhishek Lohia
|
Binayak Advertising Pvt. Ltd.
|
Proprietor
|
Parimal Singha
|
Need Advertising
|
Proprietor
|
Rinkumoni Baruah
|
Marcom Media
|
Proprietor
|
Ankit Garodia
|
Aahana Ads & Outdoors
|
Managing Partner
|
The restructured committee has made a representation to the Guwahati Metropolitan and Development Authority (GMDA) Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya citing that the outdoor advertising business has faced hardships due to the anti-CAA movement and the ongoing pandemic. It has been highlighted that the outdoor businesses support the employment and source of livelihood of around 50,000+ families that include those of advertising employees, skilled and unskilled labourers and subsidiaries that are associated with the businesses such as printers, fabricators, etc., across the North-East. Currently, the businesses are unable to pay the salaries and wages.
ANNE has made a plea for waiver of municipal advertising tax for the current financial year 2020-21. Likewise, landlords have also been approached for relaxation on the rent.
Nitin Jain, General Secretary, AANE told Media4Growth, “Restructuring of the new Committee was required as this will surely boost our confidence to work more efficiently during this Covid-19 induced financial crisis. However, the current situation of the industry is too fragile and with continuous lockdown the demand curve is going below negative. The government should come up with better package for the survival of business.”