At the 15th Asian Customer Engagement Forum (ACEF) Digital Marketing Social Media Leadership Awards 2026, held at Taj Lands End in Mumbai on 16 Jan 2026, the Adani Group delivered a standout performance, securing six honours comprising four Gold and two Silver awards at one of the most respected platforms for branding, marketing and customer engagement excellence.

Six wins. One clear statement: when storytelling is anchored in people and purpose, it resonates.

Organised by ACEF, the awards recognise brands that move beyond reach and metrics to build meaningful, lasting connections with audiences. This year’s winners featured a formidable line-up of marquee names including Tata, Reliance, Mahindra, HDFC, Standard Chartered and Disney, underscoring both the competitive depth of the field and the significance of the recognition.

At the heart of the Adani Group’s success was its digital communications team, part of the Customer Brand Custodian (CBC) function, whose work stood out for its human-first, purpose-led narrative approach. Across platforms and formats, the team demonstrated how large-scale infrastructure and enterprise stories can be translated into authentic, emotionally resonant digital content without losing strategic clarity.

The recognition translated into six honours across categories, reflecting both creative range and narrative depth. Seva at Maha Kumbh earned two Gold awards for Best Cause Driven Campaign and Best Social Media Campaign, acknowledging storytelling rooted in service and scale. Ports of Possibilities was also conferred two Gold awards, winning Best Real Estate Campaign and the coveted ACEF Digital Storyteller of the Year, reinforcing its impact as a flagship narrative property.

Gold-winning properties exemplified how purpose-led storytelling can elevate complex infrastructure narratives. Ports of Possibilities showcased the transformative power of maritime infrastructure through a multi-episode narrative that brought together global trade, business-to-business excellence, sustainability and community development. By blending cinematic visuals, real voices and data-led insights, the series humanised complexity and positioned the Adani Group as a forward-looking and responsible enabler of economic progress.

Silver honours followed for Mundra Diaries, which won Best Cause Driven Campaign for its people-centric portrayal of entrepreneurs and small businesses whose lives and livelihoods have grown alongside Adani’s Mundra Port, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in Oct 2023. By shifting the lens from scale to people, the nine-part video series captured stories of grit, resilience and aspiration, reinforcing the port’s role as a catalyst for inclusive growth and community upliftment.

Another Silver award went to Seva at Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra, recognised as Best Viral/Buzz Marketing Campaign for capturing moments of compassion and service at one of India’s most significant spiritual gatherings. Along with the Maha Kumbh initiative, the Seva films highlighted selfless service on the ground, from food and water distribution to volunteer efforts and pilgrim experiences, moving seamlessly from the scale of the events to deeply personal human stories.

What makes these six wins especially meaningful is the context. In a showcase featuring some of India’s most accomplished and globally recognised brands, the Adani Group’s recognition reinforces the enduring power of authenticity, humility and purpose in digital storytelling.

As the applause settled in Mumbai this Jan, one message rang out clearly: the Adani Group’s people-first digital storytelling stood tall, earning six standout wins for purpose and impact.