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How Indian advertising firms and talent are turning Dubai into a launchpad for regional influence
Indian creatives are turning Dubai into a thriving hub for regional work, leveraging cultural insight, cost efficiency and cross-border collaboration to shape Middle East advertising.
Image: Dubai skyline (david-rodrigo via Unsplash)
As regional work scales up and the South Asian diaspora gains attention, Indian talent is finding a thriving creative home in the Middle East. What was once a spillover market for Indian advertising has now become a springboard for regional influence — with Dubai at the heart of it.
Indian creatives are going beyond exporting campaigns to the Gulf. Now they’re shaping narratives, winning mandates and in many cases, relocating to Dubai or working closely with UAE-based clients from India. The demand is real. The reasons are layered.
A Shared Cultural Context with a Market to Match
One of the foundational drivers is audience insight. Devaiah Bopanna, co-founder of Moonshot, explains how a massive and culturally cohesive diaspora is altering the creative landscape.
“The entire GCC is made up of a huge South Asian population — not just Indians, but also Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, Nepalese,” he says. “Together, we form a massive group with shared cultural markers — cricket, Bollywood, that kind of thing.”
What was once overlooked as incidental is now being targeted strategically.
“Now, brands in the region are recognizing that this group is large enough to be spoken to directly,” Bopanna adds. “They want to target this audience and to do that well, they need agencies and creatives who understand them. That’s where Indian talent comes in.”
This shift is visible in the kinds of briefs regional agencies are receiving.
“Most of the corporate head offices for this region are based in Dubai. So if you want to do regional work — whether it’s for India, GCC, or the broader South Asian expat base — Dubai becomes a natural hub. That’s why you’re seeing creatives either relocate there or start working with UAE-based clients from India.”
Moonshot recently brought this insight to life for a money remittance platform.
“We recently did a project for Aspora; a money remittance app with Yuvraj Singh. The idea was to speak to people based in the UAE who are sending money to India and surrounding countries. That’s a very real, very emotional consumer journey, and it requires storytelling that’s region-aware.”
Cross-Cultural Fluency as a Competitive Edge
In a region where campaigns often straddle multiple languages and nationalities, Bopanna believes Indian creatives are uniquely positioned.
“Clients here are open to fresh ideas. They’re curious and want to explore. That’s what makes it a good creative space to work in,” he says.
“A lot of us especially those who’ve grown up in urban India, have been shaped by Western media alongside our own. So we can work across cultures. We know how to tell stories that speak to South Asians, but we’re also comfortable creating for audiences where English is the primary language.”
“Clients see that. It gives Indian creatives an added advantage; we come with both regional fluency and a global perspective. That duality is really valuable in a place like Dubai.”
The Offshore-Onsite Model That Just Works
Beyond cultural fit, there's a practical reason for this rising creative exchange: cost efficiency. Ashish Bhasin, founder of The Bhasin Consulting Group, breaks it down.
Indians have played a major role in Dubai's advertising sector for decades. Along with the Lebanese and a few other communities, they’ve been dominant players. Post-COVID, the shift has accelerated because remote work has become easier and visa processes have become more flexible. "You can now get freelance visas — not necessarily the golden visa everyone talks about and that makes it easier for Indian professionals to operate between the two regions,” says Bhasin.
There’s also a strong economic logic: price arbitrage. Many agencies in Dubai offshore parts of their creative or production work to India, where they not only save costs but also access excellent talent. Since Dubai already has a large Indian workforce, this model works seamlessly — Indian professionals understand the context, the clients, and the expectations.
Bhasin adds, “A professional with 5–10 years of experience in Dubai would typically cost significantly more than someone with similar experience in India, due to the higher cost of living. Agencies in Dubai often offshore parts of their creative or production work to India — not just for cost savings, but because the talent is excellent. You might save 30–40%, but the bigger advantage is the depth and quality of talent available in India.”
Bhasin adds that this isn’t a zero-sum game.
“It’s hard to say one market is better, because creativity can flourish anywhere. But the creative standards and scale in India are generally higher. For example, Dentsu Webchutney — an Indian agency — was named the best agency in the world at Cannes in 2021 or 2022. That kind of global recognition is rare from Dubai.”
India-UAE as a Growth Corridor
Viniit Mehta, founder of Pressplay Capital, sees this trend playing out not just in agency work, but also in tech-enabled creativity.
“UAE is fast becoming a natural extension of India in many ways,” he says. “I’ve been part of boardroom discussions at startups and scale-ups across ad tech, advertising, video creation, marketing tech, etc., that are increasingly viewing the UAE as an obvious choice outside of India.”
The presence of a South Asian workforce in creative firms across the UAE is helping Indian startups find faster traction.
“All the ad agencies in Dubai, and even video production or editing firms, already have a large number of South Asian employees. That makes it easier for Indian startups to sell in, because the diaspora is already living and operating out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.”
Mehta lists AI copilots for marketing, scriptwriting ventures and even short-form video apps co-launching in India and Dubai — all examples of how cross-border creativity is no longer an outsourcing model but a co-building one.
Post-COVID Shift to Creative Migration
The transformation isn’t just about work — it’s about lifestyle. Gowthaman Ragothaman, CEO of Aqilliz, points to Dubai’s broader appeal.
“Since COVID, Dubai has become a preferred destination for families and professionals to settle down. After Expo 2020 and relaxed norms around residency, it started attracting talent as well. I’m a good example myself — I set up my own family office there,” he says.
"Just like Singapore is the hub for Southeast Asia, Dubai is the hub for GCC.”
“There’s growing demand. The market is tax-free, so people retain more of their salary. Residency norms are more relaxed. More importantly, ad spends have increased substantially. Whether it’s media, creative agencies, retail media, programmatic, or tech — it’s all growing. Indian talent is highly attractive because it’s cost-effective and skilled.”
The View from the Inside
Ravi Rao, Managing Partner at Climaty AI and a long-time resident of the region, agrees that Indian creatives are making a mark — but insists the region is truly multicultural at its core.
“No, there’s no preference for Indians over other nationalities. I’ve seen people from 100+ nationalities working in advertising agencies in this region. It’s all about your ability to fit in, work well with others, and understand the cultural context — not about where you’re from.”
He also calls out a bias that often shows up back in India.
“There’s sometimes a perception in India that Middle East ads are dull or average compared to Indian advertising. And that perception bothers me. I’ve been here since 1992, and I’d say the average Indian ad sometimes irritates me too. There are great ads in both regions. The key difference is how well you localize — how you capture what’s current and culturally resonant.”
According to Rao, Indian creatives are earning respect not just for their storytelling chops, but also for their stamina.
“Work ethic. Indian creatives are deeply passionate, involved, and go the extra mile. That reputation helps, especially in newer areas like UX, UI, and digital creative. Many Indians are now excelling in those fields here.”
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