MET Institute of Mass Media Hosts Portfolio Showcase Day 2025, Celebrating Creativity and Emerging Talent

This year’s event gained extraordinary significance with the presence of Grand Master Pops KV Shridhar, Global Chief Creative Officer at Nihilent, who reviewed student portfolios and presented the coveted Piyush Pandey Spark Award. A towering figure in the advertising world, Pops spent time engaging with students, offering clarity on craft and purpose. His reflections reminded the gathering that true creativity emerges from questioning the ordinary and embracing the unfamiliar with confidence.

The showcase also received strong support from Hon. Trustee Shri Pankaj Bhujbal, whose encouragement continues to reinforce MET’s commitment to nurturing industry-ready graduates. Senior Management Representative Smt. Vishakha Bhujbal attended the event as well, appreciating the depth, quality and professional polish reflected in the student portfolios and reaffirming the institute’s mission to develop future-focused media talent.

Throughout the day, students presented both digital and physical portfolios that captured their academic journeys and creative evolution. The distinguished jury featured senior leaders from SoCheers, Tantraa, ADfactor PR, NewsDanka, Jio Creative Labs, Burson/WPP, Capsmash Media, Janta Cinema, ABFRL, MSL, GroupM Wavemaker, Mindshare Fulcrum and EHR Branding & GTM Consulting. Their open-ended interactions with students provided genuine industry insight while reinforcing the importance of storytelling, strategic clarity and execution discipline.

The most anticipated moment arrived when the Piyush Pandey Spark Award was presented to Geeta Patel, whose portfolio stood out for its originality, conceptual strength and meticulous detailing. Several other students were honoured for discipline-specific excellence. Rajvi and Anoushka received the Advertising Excellence Award, Priyanka was recognised for Public Relations Excellence, Vaishnavi for Digital Marketing Excellence, Bhavesh for Journalism Excellence, and Aradhya for Entertainment and Events Excellence. The Trustees Roll of Honour additionally acknowledged the consistent efforts of Lionel, Karuna and Antara.

Dr. Priya Menon Nair, Director of MET Institute of Mass Media, addressed the audience by stating, “This portfolio showcase is not just a collection of projects. It is a collection of memories, mistakes, rejections, conflicts, unlearning and learning. It reflects growth, resilience and the courage to tell the world: This is my work, and I am ready for the world to see it. And that courage is far more valuable than any grade.”

Industry visitors including Prashant Vyas, Harsh Shah, Shrinivasan Alley, Kalpana Rane, Ajanta Kumar, Kaveri Roy, Yusuf Shaikh, Nidhi Laddha, Aziz Khan, Tejashree Deshmukh, Runal Mehta and Pranita Mithbaonkar spent time with the students, offering constructive insights and reinforcing the value of mentorship in shaping new talent.

As conversations continued into the evening, Portfolio Showcase Day 2025 concluded on a hopeful and energising note. For the students, the event marked a milestone in their creative journeys, encapsulating the confidence, curiosity and courage that the media industry demands.

About MET Institute of Mass Media: The Institute of Mass Media, part of the Mumbai Educational Trust (MET), is one of India’s leading media education institutions offering future-ready programmes in advertising, journalism, digital marketing, entertainment management and integrated media. With a strong focus on experiential learning, industry exposure and professional development, MET prepares students to excel in the rapidly evolving media landscape.