KATHMANDU, AUGUST 13
Nepali advertising and marketing agencies won 17 awards at the Flame Awards Asia 2026 in New Delhi, with Outreach Nepal and its activation and digital agencies Lemon and DigitalIn securing 13 Gold, three Silver and one Bronze awards.
The awards ceremony was held on August 7 at Taj Vivanta, Dwarka. Campaigns created for brands including Vaseline, Samsung, Mountain Dew, Ncell, Mero Khukri, Gorkha and Zyn were among those recognised.
Five Nepali agencies received awards at this year's event. Alongside Outreach Nepal, Lemon and DigitalIn, Storm Communication Nepal and D20 Labs were also recognised.
The Flame Awards Asia, instituted by the Rural Marketing Association of India (RMAI), recognises marketing and communications campaigns across India and other emerging Asian markets for strategy, innovation, execution, technology, community engagement and measurable impact.
Nepali agencies competed alongside leading regional firms, including Impact Communications, Insights India Network, Mindwave Media, Publicis Media, Goosebumps Network, McCann, Posterscope India and VML India. Bangladesh's bKash was also among the recognised organisations.
The awards were judged by a panel of senior professionals from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Santosh Desai, founder and director of Think9 Consumer Technologies, chaired the jury, while Ernst & Young (EY) served as the tabulation partner.
Ujaya Shakya, first vice-president of the Advertising Association of Nepal and founder of Outreach Nepal, described the performance as an indication of the growing talent and creative capacity of Nepal's marketing communications industry.
He said the recognition demonstrated that Nepali agencies could compete regionally despite operating in a relatively smaller market with smaller budgets.
Shakya also credited clients, brand teams and agency partners for supporting campaigns and taking risks on creative ideas, while thanking RMAI and the Flame Awards Asia organisers for providing a regional platform for emerging markets.
The awards reinforce the growing regional presence of Nepali marketing and advertising agencies and their efforts to develop campaigns capable of competing beyond the domestic market.