Bakulesh Mehta of Chitra (B) Publicity & Ashok Soni of Purnima Advertising felicitated at OAC 2025

OOH Advertising Convention (OAC) 2025, held during July 18 & 19 at the Westin Powai in Mumbai, had a special moment- the felicitation of two senior OOH industry leaders – Bakulesh Mehta, Founder of Chitra (B) Publicity, and Ashok Soni, Founder of Purnima Advertising.  

Bakulesh K Mehta joined Chitra Publicity in 1967 and under his leadership, the company, which commenced its journey in 1929 in Ahmedabad under the vision of late Sri Kantilal Manilal Mehta as a modest outdoor publicity shop, grew into one of the largest outdoor advertising companies in Gujarat. In 2015, Bakulesh drove the setting up of Chitra (B) Publicity and became its CMD. Since then, Chitra (B) Publicity has been going strong with over 10,000 hoardings across 250 towns in Gujarat, covering a population of 55 million and a vast inventory of hoardings, unipoles, gantries, kiosks, and bus depot branding options. 

Ashok Soni’s journey is a true testament to his belief that “success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts”. His journey began over 50 years ago in 1973, laying the foundation for what would evolve into Purnima Advertising. The company’s first big milestone was in 1982 when Purnima Advertising became the ad firm behind one of India’s most iconic campaigns: the washing powder Nirma advertisement. Today, Purnima Advertising stands strong with over 50 years in the industry and a turnover exceeding ₹400 crore with national presence supported by a vast network of traditional OOH formats. 

The felicitation of Bakulesh Mehta and Ashok Soni reflects OAC’s objective of recognizing and acknowledging the contribution made by long-term players to the OOH industry.