Regulation as a Creative Superpower: Inside ASCI feat. Manisha Kapoor (CEO, ASCI)

Episode 13 of The Indian AdGeek, Vishal Mehra sits down with Manisha Kapoor, CEO of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) and Vice President on the Executive Committee of ICAS, for a wide-ranging conversation on the evolving role of advertising standards in India and beyond. From her early love affair with advertising and formative years at Hindustan Unilever and Johnson & Johnson, to over a decade at ASCI leading India’s self-regulation journey, Manisha reflects on the transformative career moments that shaped her philosophy. As someone who has been both a brand strategist and the industry’s watchdog, she offers candid insights into the complex balance between commercial imperatives and consumer protection. Together, we explore: * 🌍 Global leadership: India’s unique perspective at ICAS, hosting the first ICAS Global Summit outside Europe/US, and winning two global awards. * ⚖️ Mandatory accountability: The Supreme Court’s self-declaration mandate and how it shifted the landscape from voluntary compliance to mandatory responsibility—especially for D2C brands and creators. * 🤖 AI in advertising: Opportunities and risks from AI-generated content, hyper-personalization, and the thorny question of responsibility across brands, agencies, platforms, and AI providers. * 🕵️ Dark patterns & influencer marketing: ASCI’s findings on deceptive design practices, why 98% of influencer ads were found non-compliant, and the psychology behind disclosure challenges. * 📊 Sectoral challenges: Offshore betting, real estate, and how ASCI collaborates with regulators and platforms like Meta and Google to tackle high-risk categories. * 🎨 Creativity vs. regulation: Why boundaries don’t stifle creativity but enable it—like lines on a tennis court making the game more interesting. * 🚀 Future formats: Metaverse, AR, voice-activated ads, and the next wave of self-regulation challenges. * 👩‍💼 Advice for young professionals: Building ethical, effective campaigns in a rapidly changing landscape. Manisha’s perspective is clear: regulation isn’t a brake—it’s the framework that allows advertising to rediscover joy and creativity while protecting consumers. The Indian AdGeek streams on all major podcast platforms. Manisha Kapoor - @kapoor_manisha Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠