India added nine fresh shortlists at Cannes Lions 2026 on June 21, a day ahead of the festival’s official opening, pushing the country’s cumulative count to 17 across multiple categories.
In Design Lions, 22Feet India earned a nod for “The Art of Survival,” created for Diageo’s Godawan whisky, while VML India and its Amsterdam office were shortlisted for “The Slooowest Vending Machine in the World,” developed for KitKat.
The Direct Lions category saw two Indian entries make the cut: 82.5 and Grey’s “Blinkstop” for the brand of the same name, and VML India’s “The Kolhapuri” for Kalapuri.
Film Craft Lions proved a strong category for India, with three shortlists. TBWA\Lintas earned recognition for “Don’t Look Up,” created for Steadfast, while Ogilvy was shortlisted for “Renu vs The City,” made for St Jude India ChildCare Centres. ZigZag Films, in collaboration with Talented, picked up a nod for “Jeere Mein Heera,” created for Coca-Cola.
Media Lions rounded out the day’s announcements, with Mindshare India recognised for the “Vim ka Mahakadhai Record” campaign for Vim, and Ogilvy India shortlisted for “Box to Beds,” created for Amazon.
With four shortlists to its name, Ogilvy currently leads the pack among Indian agencies. Meanwhile, no Indian entries were shortlisted on the day in Digital Craft, Entertainment (including its Gaming, Music, and Sport sub-categories), Industry Craft, PR, or Social and Creator Lions.
