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Prasoon Joshi, Shashi Sinha and Kartik Sharma emerge as power trio steering India after Omnicom–IPG merger
Amid this churn, the merger has effectively positioned Prasoon Joshi, Shashi Sinha and Kartik Sharma as the core leadership axis for the new organisation in India, reflecting a balance across creative, media, and operational integration.
Kartik Sharma, who leads Omnicom Media Group India, is widely seen as essential to the integration process that lies ahead.
The coming together of Omnicom and Interpublic Group (IPG) — the most far-reaching consolidation the global advertising market has ever witnessed — has set off a sweeping leadership overhaul in India. With both groups long entrenched in the country through heavyweight creative and media networks, the newly unified organisation is under unprecedented pressure to eliminate duplication, streamline structures and present a cohesive front to clients.
India has emerged as one of the highest-priority regions for the merged global giant. The market’s projected double-digit advertising growth for 2026, its expanding consumer economy, and an intensifying contest in digital and retail media make the country central to the combined entity’s long-term strategy. Senior industry figures describe the moment as a “generational reset” for India’s agency ecosystem.
Amid this churn, the merger has effectively positioned Prasoon Joshi, Shashi Sinha and Kartik Sharma as the core leadership axis for the new organisation in India, reflecting a balance across creative, media, and operational integration.
Prasoon Joshi, currently helming McCann Worldgroup India while also chairing the Asia-Pacific region, enters this phase with an unmatched creative reputation. His stewardship has delivered some of India’s most recognised campaigns and cemented McCann’s cultural influence. As the merged company rationalises its creative networks — some of which may be consolidated or collapsed — his standing with clients and regulators is expected to weigh heavily on future decisions.
On the media side, Shashi Sinha brings decades of institutional experience. The architect behind Lodestar and an early driver of media-planning frameworks in India, his academic grounding at IIT Kanpur and IIM Bangalore and his stewardship of Mediabrands’ network have given him an unusually deep command of the market. Ahead of the merger’s completion, he was moved into an Executive Chair role for India — a stabilising position that signals his continued relevance even as structures get reshaped.
Kartik Sharma, who leads Omnicom Media Group India, is widely seen as essential to the integration process that lies ahead. With IPG’s media assets set to fold into a unified system, his remit will extend beyond OMG’s portfolio to harmonising platforms, tools and client teams across both legacies. Trade watchers point to a competitive dynamic: Mediabrands brings historical depth and scale under Sinha, while OMG has delivered strong growth in recent years under Sharma. The merged group’s strategic direction in India may hinge on how their roles are aligned.
On the creative front within the Omnicom universe, Aditya Kanthy — CEO & MD of OAG India, which includes DDB Mudra, BBDO India and TBWA India — is also expected to influence the structural redesign. But the exit of BBDO India CEO Suraja Kishore and TBWA’s relatively modest scale have placed parts of Omnicom’s creative architecture on the rationalisation radar.
As the merger enters its next phase, the combination of network consolidation, leadership recalibration and portfolio restructuring is set to redefine India’s advertising landscape. The elevation of Joshi, Sinha and Sharma signals where the balance of power may settle — but the industry expects more movement before the dust truly settles.
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