EXCLUSIVE: Publicis Starcom wins Flipkart Group’s ₹750-crore media account, replaces EssenceMediacom

Walmart-owned Flipkart has awarded its integrated media mandate, estimated to be worth around ₹750 crore, to Publicis Groupe’s Starcom India, marking one of the largest media account wins in the Indian advertising market this year.

The mandate spans the entire Flipkart Group portfolio, including fashion arm Myntra, value-commerce platform Shopsy, travel booking platform Cleartrip, and fintech venture Super.money. The account was previously handled by EssenceMediacom, part of WPP Media.

Under the new partnership, Starcom India will be responsible for both traditional and digital media duties. The remit includes crafting a unified, full-funnel media strategy designed to balance scale, relevance and effectiveness across multiple consumer touchpoints, while remaining grounded in deep audience insights and cultural context.

According to industry sources, the media pitch saw participation from several leading agency networks, including Omnicom Media Group, WPP Media and Madison World. After a multi-agency evaluation process, the mandate was awarded to Starcom India. Sources familiar with the development confirmed the win to Storyboard18.

The win is being seen as a significant boost for Publicis Groupe in India’s highly competitive media services market, particularly at a time when large advertisers are consolidating media duties and seeking partners with strong digital, data and commerce capabilities.

Flipkart, which competes with Amazon and Reliance Retail in India’s fast-growing e-commerce market, continues to be among the country’s largest advertisers, with heavy spends across television, digital, social and emerging media platforms, especially during festive and sale-led periods.