Why are there so few Indian leaders at the helm of global ad companies?
Despite Indians leading tech, auto, and FMCG giants globally, adland's top floor remains largely off-limits, revealing uncomfortable truths about global leadership pipelines, systemic blind spots and the limits of “local brilliance.”
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How many times have you noticed an Indian-origin CEO at a global advertising holding company? Probably just once- Devika Bulchandani, Global CEO of Ogilvy. And while her ascent is worth celebrating, it also highlights a glaring absence: Indian leaders remain conspicuously underrepresented at the top of the world's largest advertising networks.
In an era where Indian-origin executives like Sundar Pichai (Google), Satya Nadella (Microsoft), Shailesh Jejurika (P&G), Shantanu Narayen (Adobe), Arvind Krishna (IBM) and Leena Nair (Chanel), among many others, helm global tech and FMCG empires, why is advertising- a historically people-first, creatively rich industry - lagging behind? Is it a matter of capability, or is there an unspoken ceiling that Indian ad executives rarely break through?
Read more: Consolidation or Collision? How ad land’s mergers create crisis of overlapping of leadership roles
The Global vs. Local Dilemma
“Advertising demands deep cultural sensitivity and a nuanced understanding of the global stage,” says Meenakshi Menon, founder of GenSxty Tribe and a seasoned advertising executive.
She points to Bulchandani’s career trajectory - built in the U.S., rooted in global brand management - as a key reason for her rise. “Those who have made it globally have spent decades abroad. It’s not about origin - it’s about immersion.”
Others agree that the disconnect is more about geography and grooming than potential.
Ashish Bhasin, Founder, The Bhasin Consulting Group (former APAC CEO of Dentsu), reflects on his hiring experience: “I deliberately avoided choosing Indians at times just to avoid bias, but often ended up hiring them anyway- they were just that good. The talent is world-class.”
But he also acknowledges the geographic challenge. “If your board, clients, and teams are in New York or London, it’s just easier for people already there to rise. That’s simply geography.”
Still, for an industry that prides itself on breaking boundaries and pushing culture forward, this rationale feels too convenient and for some, outdated.
Outpost Managers or Systemic Bias?
Tarun Rai, former CEO of Wunderman Thompson South Asia and now Co-Chairman at Start Design, recalls his early days at the company’s London office.
“There was diversity on the streets and in universities. But walk into our agency, and it vanished. Out of 300 people, maybe three were of Indian descent. And we were meant to be creating advertising for that same diverse population.”
His observation raises the core dilemma: Do Indian ad leaders struggle to move beyond regional mandates because of internal limitations- or is there an unconscious (or conscious) bias that confines them to “outpost manager” roles?
“It’s part perception, part system,” says Mithila Saraf, CEO at Famous Innovations.
“Global holding companies have historically built their leadership pipelines from geographic and cultural power centers. Indian talent is often seen as excellent executors — not global visionaries.”
She adds, “Until that changes, Indian leaders - even the world-class ones- will face an uphill battle to be seen as boardroom equals.”
The Parochial Trap
Azazul Haque, Group CCO at Creativeland Asia, offers a brutally honest take.
“Indian advertising is parochial by nature. We’re solving regional problems with regional narratives. We haven’t created work or thinking that has reshaped global advertising.”
His point is echoed by others: India, for all its creative brilliance, has rarely pioneered universally resonant ad models or ideas that rewire the way global brands behave. And unlike sectors such as tech or finance - where systems and frameworks are more universal- advertising remains stubbornly cultural, making cross-border influence harder to establish unless one operates within the Western system.
Is It Really About Talent?
Despite these structural realities, one can’t ignore the symbolism. In a country of over 1.4 billion, where advertising is a $12+ billion industry and growing, does it really make sense that global boards can't find more than a single Indian-origin leader who fits?
“The brutal truth is that there are very few world-class people heading advertising agencies in India,” Meenakshi Menon says bluntly.
“And many of those who could don’t want to uproot their lives and move. Global CEO roles aren’t glamorous - they’re grueling. And you lose the comforts that come with the Indian system.”
Still, the fact remains: other industries with equally tough demands have figured it out. Advertising, by contrast, seems stuck in a loop of regional brilliance and global invisibility.
Bhasin remains optimistic. “There are many outstanding Indian managers who travel well across cultures. And when constraints are removed, they often thrive.”
But thriving shouldn’t require relocation, reinvention, or re-education in Western norms. If advertising is to live up to its global ideals, it must ask harder questions of its leadership models - and recognize that brilliance can come from anywhere, not just London, New York, or Paris.
Until then, Devika Bulchandani will remain the exception that proves the rule and a reminder of the long, steep climb Indian leaders still face to truly belong at the top of adland’s global power corridors.
