Nepali agencies win 17 awards at Flame Awards Asia in New Delhi

NEW DELHI: Nepali marketing communications agencies won 17 awards at the Flame Awards Asia 2026 in New Delhi, India, on August 7.

Outreach Nepal, together with its activation and digital partners Lemon and DigitalIn, secured 13 Gold, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze for campaigns for brands including Vaseline, Samsung, Mountain Dew, Ncell, Mero Khukri, Gorkha and Zyn.

Five Nepali agencies received accolades at this year’s edition. In addition to Outreach Nepal, Lemon and DigitalIn, Storm Communication Nepal and D20 Labs also won awards, reflecting the expanding range and quality of marketing communications emerging from the country.

The Flame Awards Asia, organised by the Rural Marketing Association of India (RMAI), is regarded as a benchmark for marketing excellence across India and Asia’s emerging markets. Entries are assessed on insight-led strategy, innovation, execution, technology, community participation, last-mile engagement and measurable results.

The 2026 awards featured strong regional competition, with Indian organisations such as Impact Communications, Insights India Network, Mindwave Media, Publicis Media, Goosebumps Network, McCann, Posterscope India and VML India among those recognised. From Bangladesh, bKash was also honoured for its work in emerging markets.

An international jury of senior industry professionals judged the entries, chaired by Santosh Desai, Founder and Director of Think9 Consumer Technologies. The panel included representatives from Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, with Ernst & Young (EY) acting as the tabulation partner to support transparency and accuracy.

Ujaya Shakya, First Vice President of the Advertising Association of Nepal (AAN) and Founder of Outreach Nepal, said, “This is a proud moment for Nepal. To see 5 agencies from Nepal perform well at the Flame Awards Asia 2026 is a strong indication of the talents and potential within our marketing communications industry."

“We may come from a relatively smaller market with smaller budgets compared to many regional markets, but we have never been short of ideas, ambition or creativity. Huge thank you to our clients and brand teams who continue to trust us, believe in the power of brand marketing and give us the confidence and courage to pursue strong ideas. What makes these awards truly special is the partnership between brands and agencies: The courage to pursue an idea, the willingness to take risks and the commitment to execute it well. Every award represents the collective effort of many people working together at every level.”

For Outreach Group, the wins support its ongoing goal to create campaign work capable of reaching audiences beyond national borders. Shakya added, “We have always believed that local insights can create universal impact. Our responsibility is not simply to win awards but to continue raising the quality of our work and create ideas that deliver real value for brands, consumers and communities.”

He concluded by thanking his team and partners, “I am especially grateful to my team, the younger generation of talents that is bringing fresh energy, new thinking and a fearless approach to the industry. I also thank our clients, brand teams and extended partners who have trusted us and worked with us as one strong team. Together we are helping build an ecosystem where better brand marketing, stronger ideas and greater ambition can thrive in Nepal.”