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The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has leveraged its leniency program to crack down on alleged cartelization and price-fixing in the media advertising industry. The leniency program, designed to encourage whistleblowers within cartels to come forward, played a key role in uncovering alleged collusion between major media agencies and broadcasters. However, the CCI officials were also probing media agencies around the commissions and guidelines framed by the industry bodies. 

The CCI raids conducted at offices of Dentsu, GroupM, Publicis, IPG and Madison alongwith industry bodies AAAI, ISA and IBDF on Tuesday continued till Wednesday morning. Sources close to the development stated that the officials took statements from the agency heads, collected data and asked questions around the commissions and the guidelines set by AAAI around commissions and ad rates. 

Akshayy S. Nanda, Partner at Saraf and Partners, emphasized the effectiveness of leniency programs in detecting and dismantling cartels. “These regulatory and investigating agencies have developed robust methodologies and programs, such as leniency programs, to effectively combat cartel activities. Leniency programs have significantly impacted the discovery and prosecution of cartels by incentivizing members to come forward with crucial evidence. These programs reduce fines or offer immunity to the first cartel member who cooperates with authorities, thereby destabilizing the cartel's secrecy.”

Nanda further noted, “The introduction of leniency programs has led to a notable increase in successfully prosecuting the cartels. By providing a safe avenue for whistleblowers, these programs have uncovered cartels that might have otherwise remained hidden, enhancing the overall effectiveness of anti-cartel enforcement. It is possible that the recent raid conducted by the CCI was on account of one of the companies blowing the whistle on the alleged price-fixing arrangement.”

Leniency programs reduce fines or offer immunity to the first cartel member who cooperates with authorities, thereby destabilizing the cartel's secrecy. The introduction of leniency programs has led to a notable increase in successfully prosecuting cartels.

CCI's approach 

The investigation aligns with Section 3(3) of the Competition Act, 2002, which addresses anti-competitive agreements, particularly horizontal agreements between enterprises engaged in similar trade or services, including cartels. Such agreements are presumed to cause an "appreciable adverse effect on competition" (AAEC) if they involve price-fixing or other anti-competitive practices.

According to CCI lawyers, proving a violation of Section 3(3) requires establishing an anti-competitive agreement between cartel members. The CCI must first demonstrate the existence of such an agreement, which can include any formal or informal arrangement, understanding, or action in concert. While direct evidence such as contracts, emails, or meeting records is ideal, the CCI often relies on circumstantial evidence like parallel pricing, identical bids, or communication via trade associations to infer collusion.

The CCI also considers "plus factors," additional indicators beyond mere parallel behavior, such as suspicious timing of price changes or communication records that suggest coordinated actions. However, unilateral price increases without evidence of coordination do not automatically constitute a violation.

Aniket Ghosh, a competition lawyer, highlighted the challenges of proving collusion: “To establish a cartel, the CCI needs to demonstrate an agreement—formal or informal—between media agencies and/or broadcasters showing that they colluded to fix ad prices. This can be done by examining emails, WhatsApp messages, meeting records, communications with third parties, and interviewing employees. Any agreement between competitors to fix prices or reduce competition is presumed to cause harm to competition. Once an agreement is identified, the burden shifts to the investigated parties to prove it does not harm competition, requiring them to demonstrate benefits or necessity, which is a high threshold to meet.”

Citing global regulatory actions, Natasha Treasurywala, Partner at Desai & Diwanji, noted, “Global regulators such as the FTC in the USA and the European Commission have taken stringent action against price-fixing arrangements. This crackdown will lead to greater transparency in collaborations between advertising agencies and broadcasters. Businesses will need to be more careful to ensure that the agencies they are dealing with are above board with their agreements and do not engage in such price-fixing activities.”

Market Impact and Future Implications

Neelambera Sandeepan, Partner at Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan Attorneys, provided insights into the current market landscape. “The broadcasting market in recent times has been significantly consolidated, especially following the CCI’s approval of the Reliance-Disney merger. Further, digital advertising platforms now account for the largest ad spends, as per recent CCI orders. While collaboration between advertising agencies and broadcasters may not necessarily be problematic, the CCI may scrutinize them under ‘vertical agreements’ in competition law parlance. Such agreements are tested for their market effects and are not automatically deemed illegal.”

Emphasizing the need for compliance, Unnati Agrawal, Partner at IndusLaw, said, “As CCI tightens its oversight, advertising agencies and broadcasters must shift towards compliance-driven, transparent, and flexible advertising models. They must engage in fair competition, which ultimately bolsters the advertising and broadcasting market in India.”

Siddharth Chandrashekhar, Advocate at the Bombay High Court, reinforced the seriousness of price-fixing allegations. “Price-fixing falls into a ‘per se’ violation category—once proven, no justification can save the erring entity. The onus is on the accused to prove that their conduct didn’t harm competition. In simpler terms: If CCI finds a cartel, the accused can't simply wriggle out by claiming, ‘But we had a good reason!’ The law assumes guilt unless proven otherwise—a legal tightrope for agencies and broadcasters alike.”

As the investigation progresses, all eyes are on the CCI’s next moves. If strong evidence of cartelization emerges, hefty penalties and long-term regulatory reforms could reshape the media buying industry in India. One thing is certain—this crackdown is not just about punishing violators but about setting the tone for a more accountable and competitive future in media advertising.

CCI raids: Leniency Program blows the lid off media cartelization

The advertising industry is calling on the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to conduct a comprehensive market study before taking any regulatory action against alleged cartelization. Stakeholders are emphasizing the need for a fair and transparent investigation, ensuring that legitimate competitive practices are not undermined by sweeping enforcement measures.

As the CCI wraps up its two-day raids and seizures at the offices of major media agencies and industry bodies, concerns are mounting over the scope and fairness of the probe. Many industry players worry that regulatory overreach could disrupt standard business practices, unintentionally stifling competition rather than fostering it. With the CCI’s investigation ongoing, industry players are urging the regulator to adopt a balanced approach that preserves fair competition without unnecessarily disrupting the advertising ecosystem.

Rahul Vengalil, CEO and co-founder of tgthr, highlighted the natural dynamics of the industry. “The big agencies control a significant part of the AdEx in India. With such large volumes of trade, it is natural for them to secure highly competitive pricing. That’s how this industry—and any industry—operates, and everyone has accepted this reality. The larger the buy, the better the pricing.”

However, Vengalil cautioned against potential market manipulation. “Things get blurry if and only if these agencies dictate terms to publishers on what rates they should offer to other agencies. At the moment, everything is speculative, and nothing has been proven. If such practices exist, they would be detrimental to the industry, particularly for emerging agencies and smaller advertisers.”

Need for a Market Research Study

Market studies are a widely used tool for competition authorities to assess the competitive landscape within an industry. Such studies help regulators understand market dynamics, existing regulatory frameworks, and their implications for competition. A well-executed market study can inform competition advocacy efforts and lead to recommendations for governments, sector regulators, businesses, and industry associations.

A senior industry executive, speaking on condition of anonymity, stressed the importance of a structured study. “CCI should conduct a market research study on the advertising industry before any intervention. During their investigation, officials were asking basic questions about industry guidelines and regulatory norms. A thorough study would help them understand the perspectives of media agencies, broadcasters, and industry bodies, ensuring that their probe remains balanced and informed.”

While media agencies face scrutiny, broadcasters argue that any regulatory action should take into account the financial realities of operating premium television channels and marquee events.

A leading broadcaster stated, “Before implementing any regulatory changes, CCI should recognize the economic realities of running high-value television properties and major events. Premium advertising slots, such as those for the Indian Premier League (IPL), warrant premium pricing due to high demand. A forced reduction in ad rates could significantly impact broadcasters’ revenue streams, affecting content production quality and overall industry sustainability.”

Broadcasters contend that market-driven pricing strategies allow them to invest in quality content, ensuring that audiences receive high-standard programming. They fear that regulatory interventions could distort market dynamics, leading to unintended consequences such as reduced investments in content creation and innovation.

Neelambera Sandeepan, Partner at Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan Attorneys, provided insights into the current market landscape. “The broadcasting market in recent times has been significantly consolidated, especially following the CCI’s approval of the Reliance-Disney merger. Further, digital advertising platforms now account for the largest ad spends, as per recent CCI orders. While collaboration between advertising agencies and broadcasters may not necessarily be problematic, the CCI may scrutinize them under ‘vertical agreements’ in competition law parlance. Such agreements are tested for their market effects and are not automatically deemed illegal.”

Sandeepan further said, "In case the collaboration is found to have caused harm to the market, penalty up to 10% of the average of the turnover for the last three preceding financial years may be imposed on the broadcaster and the advertising agency. Further, office bearers are also at risk of penalties up to 10% of the average of their income for the last three financial years."

As the debate continues, the CCI faces the challenging task of distinguishing between legitimate business practices and potential anti-competitive behavior. However, the CCI investigations reflects a growing concern about fair market practices and the need for transparency in advertising rate settings and commissions.

CCI must align with market realities, conduct industry research before any intervention: Stakeholders

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) will be broadening its investigation into the alleged cartelization and price-fixing practices in the advertising industry, now examining a potential Big Tech angle in the ongoing raids at major media agencies. CCI officials have discovered digital evidence suggesting possible involvement of Big Tech companies in digital media-buying deals. 

Sources claimed that a routine investigation by GST officials at a leading media agency led to an unexpected crackdown by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on several major advertising agencies. CCI officials raided GroupM, Dentsu, Madison, Publicis, and IPG, along with industry bodies such as the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF), the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), and the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), as part of an inquiry into alleged cartelization involving ad pricing and discount manipulation.

Sources close to the investigation revealed that during the raids, CCI officials discovered digital evidence suggesting possible involvement of Big Tech companies in digital media-buying deals. This revelation has prompted the antitrust watchdog to intensify its scrutiny and expand its probe beyond just advertising agencies.

The nature of the evidence retrieved from the digital records of the raided media agencies remains undisclosed. However, officials suspect that certain Big Tech firms may have played a role in influencing ad pricing, digital media spending, and long-term media-buying agreements. These deals could potentially reflect anti-competitive behavior, such as restricting fair competition, predetermining ad rates, or influencing bidding processes in favor of select companies.

Apart from media agencies and tech firms, CCI has also set its sights on Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies and some of the biggest advertisers in the country. These companies will be questioned regarding their dealings with ad agencies and their media-buying strategies.

Investigators are looking into whether FMCG giants benefited from exclusive media-buying agreements, negotiated discounts, or preferential treatment in advertising slots. If proven, such arrangements could point to coordinated efforts to manipulate advertising rates and distort market competition.

During the raids, senior executives and CEOs of leading media agencies were questioned about their long-term media-buying contracts with broadcasters and digital platforms. CCI officials are meticulously analyzing Release Orders (ROs), which are official documents that outline the terms of media-buying transactions, to detect any potential irregularities or signs of price collusion.

A key focus of the probe is whether these long-term deals were structured in a way that locked advertisers into non-competitive pricing structures, preventing smaller players from negotiating better rates. If CCI finds evidence of such practices, it could lead to severe penalties for both media agencies and their business partners.

Legal experts suggest that this investigation could have far-reaching consequences for the advertising and digital media industry. If CCI establishes that major players engaged in anti-competitive practices, it could lead to hefty fines, regulatory action, and a complete overhaul of media-buying strategies in India.

Under Section 3(3) of the Competition Act, 2002, agreements between companies within the same industry that directly or indirectly determine pricing or restrict competition are illegal. The investigation will focus on uncovering evidence such as internal emails, pricing agreements, meeting records, or coordinated rate cards that could indicate anti-competitive behavior.

Meanwhile, companies under investigation have remained tight-lipped about the ongoing raids. When contacted, media agencies have declined to comment on the allegations and the nature of their dealings with Big Tech companies.

Breaking: CCI to expand media cartel probe, Big Tech & FMCG deals under scanner

A routine investigation by GST officials at a leading media agency led to an unexpected crackdown by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on several major advertising agencies. CCI officials raided GroupM, Dentsu, Madison, Publicis, and IPG, along with industry bodies such as the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF), the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI), and the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), as part of an inquiry into alleged cartelization involving ad pricing and discount manipulation.

Sources familiar with the matter revealed that CCI officials were reviewing key documents related to the investigation late into Tuesday night. The CEOs of the agencies were summoned for questioning and have been directed to appear at the CCI office on Wednesday.

The investigation is highly targeted, with agency executives facing specific inquiries about pricing practices. Sources also indicated that several other agencies are under scrutiny for suspected price collusion.

Under Section 3(3) of the Competition Act, 2002, agreements between companies within the same industry that directly or indirectly determine pricing or restrict competition are illegal. The investigation will focus on uncovering evidence such as internal emails, pricing agreements, meeting records, or coordinated rate cards that could indicate anti-competitive behavior.

In addition to the ad agencies, CCI officials also conducted searches at the IBDF office as part of the ongoing probe.

This enforcement action follows the CCI’s decision to investigate top advertising agencies and broadcasters over allegations of price-fixing and discount manipulation. The agencies are accused of colluding with broadcasters to set advertising rates, effectively limiting advertisers’ ability to negotiate fair and competitive pricing. If proven, the allegations suggest that large advertisers, who rely on these agencies for media planning and ad placements, may have been systematically overcharged through coordinated manipulation of discounts, commissions, or bidding processes.

If found guilty, media agencies could face penalties of up to 10% of their annual turnover, a substantial financial repercussion that could significantly impact the industry.

Legal experts suggest that this case could establish a crucial precedent for the advertising sector, compelling agencies and broadcasters to reconsider their pricing strategies and enforce transparent, competitive media-buying practices.

Storyboard18 reached out to the implicated media agencies and IBDF for comments regarding the raids; however, as of now, they have yet to issue any official statements on the matter.

GST probe opens a can of worms, triggered CCI raids on top ad agencies

The officials from Competition Commission of India after raiding offices of GroupM, Dentsu and Interpublic Group in Mumbai, New Delhi and Gurugram, also raided offices of Publicis for allegedly fixing ad rates and discounts. However, sources privy to investigations have indicated that other top media agencies are also under scanner.

Sources close to the development told Storyboard18, "Offices of Publicis were also raided in the similar matter. The CCI is trying to crackdown on cartelisation of fixing ad prices and discounts." 

Under Section 3(3) of the Competition Act, 2002, any agreement between players in the same industry that directly or indirectly determines prices or restricts competition is illegal. The investigation now will focus on unearthing emails, pricing agreements, internal meeting records, or coordinated rate cards that suggest anti-competitive behavior.

The CCI officials also visited the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation office for investigation.

The action comes after CCI initiated a case against the agencies and top broadcasters over allegedly fixing ad rates and discounts. The case involves top agencies and top broadcasters over allegedly fixing ad rates and discounts.

Sources close to the development said, "The officials denied access to legal assistance. The officials claimed that they had search warrants but they never disclosed any atter to us. They also refused from answering any calls and seized our cellphones."

Media agencies, IBDF are yet to issue any statement related to the raids carried out in their premises.



EXCLUSIVE: After raids at GroupM, Dentsu and IPG, CCI raids offices of Publicis Groupe

Interpublic Group's OOH arm, Rapport retained the Hindustan Unilever Limited's (HUL) Rs 200 crore OOH media account. Sources close to the development said, Publicis and GroupM participated in the pitch. 

Storyboard18 on December 17 had reported about HUL re-evaluating its OOH media account. According to sources, HUL's OOH media spends is about Rs 200 crore for pan India campaigns. "HUL had invited only global agencies for the pitch due to their strict audit processes. GroupM, IPG and Publicis participated in the pitch."

Sources close to the development said that the pitch was finalized with IPG's Rapport and GroupM being shortlisted by HUL. Rapport later retained the brand's OOH Media mandate. HUL was evaluating multiple aspects including the roadmap for the ongoing year.

The total advertising revenue in 2024 is expected to reach Rs 1.2 trillion ($14.6 billion) from Rs 1.1 trillion ($13.1 billion), as per the latest Magna Global Advertising Forecast report. The revenue is estimated to increase by 16% to reach Rs 34 billion ($402 million), DOOH's share to total OOH is at six percent, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 33% and the share of DOOH would be approximately 11% by 2028.

As per the report, OOH (Out-of-Home) media is on a growth trajectory and is expected to cross 2019 levels in 2024. Traditional, transit and DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home) have shown incremental revenues. The government’s push on infrastructure and urbanisation is an expected boost for OOH inventory, especially premium formats.

IPG's Rapport retains OOH media mandate for HUL

Keep up with all the key people movements in the brand marketing ecosystem in Storyboard18’s CXO Moves. Here’s a round-up of the executives who are in, out, and in-between in the past two weeks.

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/Untitled-design-2022-09-11T083254.428.png" alt="" width="500" height="500" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1959" />

Devika Bulchandani

Previous: President, McCann

Present: Global Chief Executive Officer, Ogilvy

Advertising agency Ogilvy has appointed Devika Bulchandani as the global chief executive officer, succeeding former Deloitte hand Andy Main who joined Ogilvy in 2020. In her new role, Bulchandani will be responsible for all aspects of the creative network’s business across 131 offices in 93 countries which would span across its advertising, public relations, experience, consulting, and health units. As she takes on her new role, she will also join WPP’s executive committee. Bulchandani had spent 26 years at McCann in various leadership roles which also includes being the president of McCann North America. With Bulchandani leading Ogilvy, she joins the long list of Indian-origin leaders at the helm of multinational conglomerates as chief executive officers. The list includes Chanel’s Leena Nair, Twitter’s Parag Agarwal and Google’s Sundar Pichai. At the recently held APAC Effie Awards 2022, Ogilvy Mumbai was named as the Agency of the Year. 

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Wendy Clark 

Previous: CEO, Dentsu International 

Dentsu International’s CEO Wendy Clark has stepped down. Clark took charge of the Japanese-owned advertising network on 1 September 2020. Prior to that, she was the global chief executive of DDB, the Omnicom-owned creative agency. Wendy is regarded as the most respected female agency leader in the global advertising circuit. She was previously a marketer at Coca-Cola. At Cannes Lions this year, Clark made an official announcement on the creation of Dentsu Creative as the company’s lead creative agency network and her vision to set up “One Dentsu” strategy that will bring Dentsu Japan and Dentsu International’s businesses closer. Under her leadership, Dentsu Creative Bengaluru went on to win Ad Agency of the Year at Cannes Lions 2022 – the first time a Dentsu agency won the prestigious award. Dentsu is the world’s fifth largest agency group with about 65,000 staff. The international business outside Japan employs around 45,000 people. Under Clark’s leadership, the network also went through an accelerated ‘transformation’. This massively hit Dentsu International’s operations globally and in India. A series of leadership changes, consolidations and dissolutions of agency brands has been happening, especially in India, over the past year and a half.

Hiroshi Igarashi, who is chief executive and president of Dentsu Group Inc, heading the two subsidiaries - Dentsu International and Dentsu Japan, will take direct control of the company. 

Sameer Khetarpal

Previous: Director - Grocery, Food and Health, Amazon

Present: Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Jubilant FoodWorks

Sameer Khetarpal has been appointed by Jubilant FoodWorks, a food service company, as the chief executive officer and managing director. Khetarpal has 25 years of experience and has worked across Unilever, Genpact, and McKinsey and Company. 

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Radhika Burman

Previous: Vice President, Strategy, BBH India

Present: Vice President & Head, BBH India

BBH India, a Publicis Groupe agency, announced the promotion of Radhika Burman to the position of vice president, and head of the agency’s Delhi branch. In her new role, Burman will be responsible for current clients, people and new business performance in Delhi, along with driving strategic thinking across clients. Burman, who has an experience of more than a decade, has worked across Dentsu, JWT, FCB Global, and Platinum Guild International. In her last role, as the manager – strategy and consumer insights at Platinum Guild International, she spearheaded the launch of Men of Platinum, men's platinum jewellery brand and Platinum Evara, a bridal jewellery line. Prior to that, she has led strategic thinking on brands like Zee, PepsiCo, Hero, Mahindra, Microsoft and Cargill, among others.

In July, George Sebastian had joined the agency as the executive creative director. In April, Arvind Krishnan, who was BBH India’s managing director, decided to move on to be the chief executive officer and founder of Manja, a company he set up with Prajato Guha, former national creative director at Leo Burnett India.

Nitin Sharma

Previous: Vice President - Business, Infectious Advertising 

Present: Senior Vice President & Head of Client Services, Publicis Worldwide India

Publicis Worldwide India has appointed Nitin Sharma as the senior vice president and head of client services. In his new role, Sharma would manage some of the agency's key brands while accelerating Publicis Worldwide’s upward growth and ambitions in the marketplace. Sharma has more than two decades of experience and has worked across Ambience, Ogilvy & Mather, Leo Burnett, and UAE Exchange. He was also a brand and marketing consultant for two years and one month. Recently, Publicis Worldwide India appointed Oindrila Roy as the managing director. 

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Saugata Mukherjee

Previous: Head Of Content, India - HBO Max, Warner Bros. Discovery

Present: Head of Content, Sony LIV

Streaming platform Sony LIV has appointed Saugata Mukherjee as the head of content. In his role, he will lead the content division for the digital businesses of Sony. Mukherjee, who has more than two decades of experience, has held leadership roles across digital media which is OTT, broadcast television and publishing. His key focus is on business strategy and planning, content creation and curation. Mukherjee has worked across HarperCollins Publishers, Rupa Publications India, NIIT, Star TV Network, Hotstar, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) and HBO Max. 

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Narayan Devanathan

Previous: Chief Client Officer, Dentsu International

Present: Chief Strategy and Communication Officer, National Foundation for India

Narayan Devanathan has joined National Foundation for India, a non-profit organisation as the chief strategy and communication officer. Devanathan, who had more than two decades of experience, had a 11 year stint at Dentsu International. He started his career with RK Swamy BBDO as a copywriter, and he worked across Vyapthi Communications, Admerasia, Ogilvy & Mather, Euro RSCG, Dentsu Marcom, Dentsu India Group and Dentsu Creative Impact Group. 

Ritu Nakra

Previous: WPP India Lead & Senior Vice President - Pepsico Foods, WPP

Present: General Manager, Landor & Fitch

Design agency Landor & Fitch has appointed Ritu Nakra as the general manager. Her responsibility is to bolster business growth and develop strategic partnership with clients in Delhi. Nakra, who has more than two decades of experience has worked across Wunderman Thompson, Fullerton India Credit Company Ltd, and Grey Group. Nakra is experienced in managing P&L, building, driving growth and revenue for businesses across categories.

Nikhil Madhok

Previous: Executive Vice President, Disney+ Hotstar

Present: Head of Hindi Original Content, Amazon Prime Video

As per reports, Nikhil Madhok will be joining Amazon Prime Video as the head of Hindi original content. While at Disney+ Hotstar, he was responsible for the entire slate of Specials from content strategy, ideation, curation, script development, production and launch. Madhok, who has two decades of experience, started his career with Unilever as an area sales manager. He rose up the ranks to be the global marketing manager. He has since then worked across Turner, Discovery Inc, and Star TV Network. 

Ahmed Rahimtoola

Previous: Head of Marketing, Allied Blenders & Distillers Pvt. Ltd.

Present: Chief Marketing Officer, Tilaknagar Industries Ltd.

Beverage company Tilaknagar Industries Ltd. has appointed Ahmed Rahimtoola as the chief marketing officer.In his new role, Rahimtoola will be responsible for leading the entire marketing function, and spearheading consumer marketing in order to strengthen the company’s regional presence,aid expansion and drive the growth of its brands across geographies. Rahimtoola has an experience of 25 years, and has worked across Triton Communications, United Breweries Ltd, and Reliance ADAG. Recently, Tilaknagar Industries launched the Mansion House Reserve French Style Brandy, the premium variant of its flagship brand Mansion House. This launch is a part of expanding the liquor major’s premium brand portfolio. 

Meenakshi Menon

Present: Chairperson, icogz

Business intelligence platform icogz has appointed Meenakshi Menon as the chairperson. Menon has more than four decades of experience and has worked across Lintas India, Zee TV Sales & Marketing Company, Carat India and Carat APAC etc. She is also the founder and chairperson of Spatial Access Pvt Ltd, and the co-founder of WayBeyond Media Pvt. Ltd.

Sujay K Rachh

Previous: Executive Director, Leo Burnett

Present: Head of Marketing, Edelweiss Wealth Management

Financial services company Edelweiss Wealth Management appointed Sujay K Rachh as the head of marketing. In his new role, Rachh will direct the financial major’s strategic marketing activities for business growth. As a part of the executive leadership team, Rachh will also be responsible for overseeing the execution of the company’s marketing strategy. Rachh has more than a decade’s experience and has worked across Concept Communication, Swamy BBDO, Lowe Lintas and Partners and Brand Capital. His specialties range across advertising, business development, concept development, customer relations, marketing management to strategic and television. Recently, Amit Nandwani who was the executive creative director and head of content at Leo Burnett India resigned from his position. And, in July, the agency bagged the creative mandate of PepsiCo India. 

Ashutosh Chaudharie

Previous: Marketing Manager, Pernod Ricard

Present: General Manager Marketing, Vi-John Group

Ashutosh Chaudharie has been appointed as the general manager of the marketing division by Vi-John Group, a men's grooming personal care brand. Chaudharie, who has more than 15 years of experience, has worked across Tata Motors, IMS Learning Resources, Henkel, Dabur India Limited etc. He has also worked as a marketing and content consultant.

Sandeep Negi

Previous: Regional Sales Head - South & East, VEVE

Present: Associate Director of Sales, AVOW

App growth marketing company AVOW has appointed Sandeep Negi as the associate director of sales. His role would be to lead all of AVOW’s business development initiatives in the country as part of the company’s domestic expansion plans while positioning AVOW as a well-known name in the mobile original equipment manufacturer (OEM) marketing ecosystem in the region.

Negi has more than a decade’s experience and has worked across Myntra, Radio Mirchi, Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd., 9X Media Pvt. Ltd, Star TV Network and Zapr Media Labs. 

Compiled by Kashmeera Sambamurthy

CXO Moves: Ogilvy, Dentsu, Publicis, Sony Liv, Prime, Edelweiss, Jubilant and more

Keep up with key people movements in the brand marketing ecosystem in Storyboard18’s CXO Moves. Here’s a round-up of the executives who are in, out, and in-between in the past two weeks.

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/Untitled-design-77.png" alt="" width="500" height="500" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1573" />

Bhasker Jaiswal

Previous: Regional Lead - APAC, Publicis Media

Present: Chief Operations Officer - Media, Dentsu India

Dentsu India recently appointed Bhasker Jaiswal as the chief operations officer. In his new role, Jaiswal will lead integration, transformation and operational excellence agendas. Further, he will closely work with Dentsu India’s chief executive officer Divya Karani to deliver business transformation, set up and standardise operations and systems, govern product leadership and enable sustainable revenue growth.

Jaiswal, who has an experience of more than two decades, has worked across Career Launcher, OMD China, MediaCom India, Buena Vista Television India, etc. Few weeks back, Publicis Media won the media mandate of PepsiCo India. 

Sumeer Mathur

Previous: National Strategy Head and Managing Partner, Havas Group

Present: Chief Strategy Officer, Dentsu Creative

Dentsu Creative recently appointed Sumeer Mathur as the chief strategy officer. His mandate includes building on Dentsu Creative’s strategic capabilities in order to further enhance its work, brand management, digital and public relations. He will work closely with Dentsu Creative’s group chief creative officer, Ajay Gahlaut. Mathur started his career with Rediffusion DY&R almost two decades ago, and has worked across Lowe Lintas, Contract Advertising, JWT, DDB Mudra, Havas Group and Edelman. At the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2022, Dentsu Creative India was declared as the ‘Agency of the Year’. A month ago, Dentsu International appointed Robert Gilby as CEO of APAC region. 

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Saurabh Bajaj

Previous: Marketing Head - Dairy, Britannia Industries Limited

Present: EVP, Prepaid Marketing, Vodafone Idea

Vodafone Idea has appointed Saurabh Bajaj as the executive vice president for prepaid marketing. Bajaj, has marketing experience of more than 15 years with stints across Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting, Mondelez International and USL - Diageo. 

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Adit Chouhan

Previous: General Manager Marketing, The Phoenix Mills Ltd

Present: Vice President - Business Operations, Merkle Sokrati

Dentsu-owned Merkle Sokrati, a data-driven, and technology-enabled performance marketing agency, has appointed Adit Chouhan as the vice president of business operations. Chouhan who has more than a decade experience has worked across KPMG, Laqshya Media Group, Peninsula Land Ltd, Creaticity, Modish Operandi and TCT - Digital Marketing Solutions. Apart from being an author of three marketing books, he is also the founder of World Digital Conclave, a platform that brings together digital marketers and technology enthusiasts from across the globe.

Anuj Poddar

Previous: Executive Director, Bajaj Electricals

Present: MD and CEO, Bajaj Electricals

Bajaj Electricals recently elevated Anuj Poddar to the position of managing director and chief executive officer. Poddar, who has an experience of more than two decades, has worked across KPMG and Viacom18 Media Private Limited. 

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Sasha Abraham

Previous: AVP - Marketing, Disney Star

Present: Head of Brand, Plum

Plum, an employee health insurance platform has appointed Sasha Abraham as the head of brand. In her new role, Abraham will be responsible for crafting the brand strategy, driving brand awareness and affinity and spearheading thought-leadership. Abraham, who has more than a decade of work experience, has worked across Tesco, General Mills and National Football League. 

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Oindrila Roy

Previous: Head of Strategy, Essence

Present: Managing Director, Publicis Worldwide India

Publicis Worldwide India recently appointed Oindrila Roy as the managing director. Her responsibility will include working towards fostering rapid growth and publicising the agency as the preferred choice for brands and the industry. Roy, who has more than two decades of experience, has worked across JWT, Lowe Lintas, Saatchi & Saatchi, Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance, Bright Angles Consulting LLP and Leo Burnett. Recently, Publicis Groupe-owned Leo Burnett launched LB Regional, the agency’s specialised division for brands to maximise its reach with the national audiences through understanding based on region wise insights.

Shitu Anand Patil

Previous: Co-Founder & Creative Head, Plus One Design

Present: Head of Art and Executive Creative Director, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi India

L&K Saatchi & Saatchi India has appointed Shitu Anand Patil as the head of art and executive creative director. Patil, who will be based out of Mumbai, will work toward raising the quality of art across all branches of the network, including the digital-first vertical Saatchi & Saatchi Propagate. Further, she will also lead a few key lifestyle businesses. Patil, who has more than two decades of experience, has had stints across Wipro Limited, FCB Ulka, Lowe Lintas and Publicis Ambience. 

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Rohit Kapoor

Previous: Global Chief Marketing Officer, Oyo

Present: Chief Executive Officer, Swiggy

Swiggy announced the appointment of Rohit Kapoor as the chief executive officer - food marketplace. Before joining Swiggy, he was with Oyo, where he worked for close to four years first as the CEO of the company’s India and Southeast Asia operations, and later as global CMO. Having an experience of more than two decades, Kapoor has worked at McKinsey&Company, Max India Limited and Max Healthcare. Very recently, Swiggy found itself in a soup after a vegetarian Tamil lyricist took to Twitter claiming he found meat chunks in gobi manchurian. 

Satish Krishnamurthy, Ameya Kapnadak, Payal Shah, Rahul Bansal

Previous: Chief Strategy Officer, TBWA/India; Chief Marketing Officer, Artha Financial Services Ltd; Associate Strategy Director, Interbrand; Senior Consultant, Interbrand

Present: Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Growth Officer and Head of Consulting, Strategy Director and Head - Human Truths, Strategy Director and Head - Brand Economics

Interbrand recently made new appointments and elevated existing executives. Krishnamurthy, who has 21 years of experience, has worked across brand consulting, creative strategy and design thinking. Kapnadak has 25 years of experience across technology, banking and finance, automotive, consumer goods, food, fashion and retail.

Shah has more than 15 years of experience in the USA and India, and has worked across categories such as spirits, FMCG, technology and fashion. As a strategy director, her approach is to help brands rise to meaningful arenas for growth and sustainable iconic leadership. 

Bansal, who has 15 years of experience in this role, has helped with the expansion of Interbrand’s footprint in South Asia across Sri Lanka, UAE and Bangladesh. Further, he also led projects for some of the public sector units (PSUs) and private sector brands in India. 

In January, Interbrand had bagged the brand strategy mandate for ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India - a joint venture between two global steel companies ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel.

Sambit Dash

Previous: SVP - Brand Factory, Honasa Consumer Pvt Ltd

Present: Partner, RPSG Capital Ventures

Investment company RPSG Capital Ventures appointed Sambit Dash as a partner. Dash said, “Having worked with consumer brands throughout my career, I am always excited about solutions that lie at the intersection of consumer needs, brand propositions, and viable business models. RPSG Capital Ventures has built a strong portfolio of successful brands in various consumer verticals, and my immediate focus will be to support the portfolio companies with my experience in consumer businesses and D2C marketing.” Dash, who has an experience of more than a decade, started his career with Nestle India and led the P&L as well as marketing responsibilities for products like Nestea – Iced Tea and Nescafe. Subsequently, he headed the marketing department at Taco Bell in India and Sri Lanka. Recently, Honasa Consumer Pvt. Ltd. appointed Pratik Mukkherjee as the vice president of the Brand Factory, where he will be responsible for the launch and creation of new brands. 

Myleeta AgaWilliams

Previous: Director, Content - SEA and Australia, Netflix

Present: Chief Executive Officer - International, upGrad

Edtech unicorn upGrad appointed Myleeta AgaWilliams as the chief executive officer - international, where she will spearhead growth across the regions of APAC, EMEA and the US. Further, she will leverage her experience in scaling businesses through strategic interventions across content and global distribution for broadcast and streaming media. AgaWilliams, who has more than two decades of experience, has worked across UTV, Discovery Communications, BBC Worldwide India, Sony Pictures Network India and BBC Studios etc. During the first two quarters of the year, Netflix lost more than one million subscribers. Further, Netflix also announced that in early 2023, it will introduce a ‘cheaper-ad supported tier’. The company had earlier also announced a partnership with Microsoft to sell and power its ads.

Shubham Khurana

Previous: Client Partner, Facebook India

Present: Brand Head, Cleartrip

Global online travel company Cleartrip, which is owned by Flipkart in India, has appointed Shubham Khurana as the brand head. In the new role, his responsibilities will include augmenting Cleartrip’s brand presence across the country and expanding in the newer markets. Khurana has previously worked at Unilever for five years, and Treebo Hotels where he served as the director of brand marketing.

Nikhil Madhok

Previous: Executive Vice President, Disney+ Hotstar

Present: Not known

Nikhil Madhok, who served as the executive vice president at Disney + Hotstar has put in his papers. During his stint at Disney+ Hotstar, he was behind the conceptualisation and launch of the platform’s entry into original content titled Hotstar Specials. Madhok, who has an experience of two decades, has worked across Unilever, Turner, Star India, Discovery Inc and Star TV Network etc.

CXO Moves: Dentsu gets two execs from rival networks; Swiggy, upGrad, Vi, RPSG hire

Enormous and Nuvoco

Cement, concrete manufacturers suppliers Nuvoco has awarded the complete communications mandate to Enormous. The agency will work on strategy, mainline creative and digital for all brands of Nuvoco. Recently, Nuvoco acquired LaFarge cement and Emami's cement brands. Two weeks ago, Enormous strengthened its leadership teams at Mumbai and Delhi offices, where Pratik Adhikari, Parijaat Sehgal and Swati Agnihotri were appointed as the associate vice president - account management, client servicing director and head at its Gurgaon office, and client servicing director, respectively.


WPP and Mondelez

Ad holding company WPP retained American multinational confectionery company Mondelez’s media mandate in India. Globally, the brand has split its media account between Publicis Groupe’s agencies, Wavemaker and VaynerMedia. Publicis will lead the business of the brand in Latin America, Europe, Middle East and the North African Peninsula, South Africa and China. Publicis Groupe won the bulk of Mondelez’s global media business that’s worth $1.6bn. VaynerMedia will lead communications planning and digital buying in the US and Canada. Wavemaker will lead media in Southeast Asia, India, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. The media billings come up to $225 million.

IPG Lodestar and BMW

Earlier this week, Storyboard18 reported that BMW India has put its creative and media account up for review. As per the industry sources, the pitch is underway in Delhi and is pegged in the vicinity of Rs 150 crore. IPG-owned Lodestar UM has been handling the account since 2017. In 2021, IPG’s Team Dynamic was announced as BMW India’s integrated communications partner after a multi-agency pitch. Team Dynamic is a bespoke IPG solution created for BMW India, with regional resources drawn from across IPG. The unit has been working on the brand's creative, digital services and studio production work. This week, BMW India reported that the brand saw a robust demand for luxury vehicles in India, reporting record sales of 5,570 cars in India in the first half of the year.

Contract Advertising and Haldiram

Contract Advertising has won the mandate of Haldiram, an Indian multinational sweets, savories and restaurant company. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch where 16 agencies had participated. The mandate includes brand strategy and creatives for the domestic market, the export market, and retail or quick service restaurants. Recently, beverage startup LB Brewers partnered with Haldiram to market its iced-teas, Borecha Icey.

Compiled by Kashmeera Sambamurthy

Biz Moves: Enormous, Contract, Publicis Groupe come out on top

Truecaller and Wavemaker

GroupM-owned Wavemaker India bagged Swedish caller identification app Truecaller's business after a competitive multi-agency pitch. India is the largest market for Truecaller. With over 220 million active users, the country accounts for as much as 70 percent of Truecaller’s global active user base of 300 million. India also accounts for a large part of the company's workforce. Wavemaker in India has been on a roll. It added a total billing of Rs 1500 crore in the last two years. The agency, which counts Mindshare, MediaCom and Essence as media stablemates, also beat all competing agencies to bag ‘Agency Of The Year’ at the Emvies this year. 

Roposo and BBH India

Publicis Groupe’s BBH India has been roped in by Roposo, video-sharing social media service as the Agency On Record (AOR). The account was won following a multi-agency pitch. BBH India will now develop both consumer-focused and business-driven marketing campaigns. Together, Roposo and BBH will develop integrated creative and strategic communications. The partnership comes at a time when Roposo is enhancing its consumer experiences and expanding its marketing efforts for LIVE Shopping and entertainment. Recently, the agency appointed George Sebastian as the executive reactive director, and the agency’s former managing director Arvind Krishnan teamed up with Leo Burnett’s Prajato Guha, former national creative director, to launch a new agency Manja that aims to create full funnel answers to help power brands in the digital world.

Madhur Sagar and Big Trunk Communications

Sugar brand Madhur Sugar has awarded the digital mandate to Big Trunk Communications, a digital integrated marketing agency. Through this collaboration, the aim is to strategically drive and execute an effective 360 degree digital marketing campaign in order to create brand awareness for the company. In November, Big Trunk Communications won the SEO mandate for Aster Labs, national reference laboratory network following a multi agency pitch.

Tata 1mg and Dentsu

Media agency from Dentsu International India, Dentsu X won the media mandate for Tata 1mg, the digital healthcare platform. The account, which would be managed by the agency’s Gurugram office, as per the mandate, will oversee the brand’s planning and buying duties for traditional as well as digital media. Tata 1mg announced complimentary health checkups for more than 1,000 doctors across India.

Nikon India and Magnon eg+

Nikon India, a 100% subsidiary of Nikon Corporation, awarded its creative and digital mandate to magnon eg+---part of the magnon group—a leading marketing performance agency. The account was won after a multi-agency pitch and will be managed by the agency's Delhi NCR office.

magnon eg+ will be responsible for the creative strategy and execution across online and offline platforms. It also includes strategizing and executing influencer and creator-led content. Further, the agency’s focus will be to partner closely with the team at Nikon to further build and strengthen equity for the brand, and manage the entire portfolio of their imaging products.

Garden Vareli and Rediffusion

Garden Silk Mills owned Garden Vareli awarded its communication mandate consisting of creative, media and digital to independent full-service advertising agency Rediffusion. The account, which was won after a multi-agency pitch, will be handled by the agency’s Mumbai office. Recently, Rediffusion appointed Rahul Vengalil as the executive director of Everest Brand Solutions.
 
Kohler India and Efficacy Worldwide 

Full-service marketing agency Efficacy Worldwide became the agency of record (AOR) for luxury sanitary brand Kohler India. The brand said the association would add fresh perspective to the brand’s advertising and marketing strategies.

PepsiCo and Publicis Media

Multinational food, snack and beverage corporation PepsiCo awarded its Rs 600 crore media mandate to Publicis Media, part of Publicis Groupe. The account was won following a multi agency pitch and with this move PepsiCo India has consolidated its media, creative and digital business with Publicis Groupe.

Yellow and Sephora India

Yellow, an integrated global creative agency, has announced the acquisition of global cosmetic retail giant, Sephora. The agency will be responsible for the brand's online and offline communications, including social media, celebrity campaigns and e-commerce. The agency will work on the brand's creative marketing and digital footprint provisions across the country. 

Infectious Advertising and Bayer

Infectious Advertising won the creative mandate of five brands of pharmaceutical company Bayer. The account, which was won after a competitive pitch, will see the agency strategise and deploy creative campaigns for the brands like Arize, Dekalb, Laudis, Native and Vayego. 

Madison Media Ultra and 88Guru.com

Madison Media Ultra became the media agency of record (AOR) of educational website 88Guru.com, where they handle traditional media and digital mandates. 88tuition is a Singapore-based firm that aims to provide students high quality learning experience. The company is set to launch in India under the brand name 88Guru.com.

The Glitch and OLX Auto

The Glitch has been appointed as the global car marketplace OLX Autos’ agency of record (AOR). Having won the account after a competitive pitch, it will be handled out of the agency’s Delhi office. 

Wunderman Thompson India and Cera

Wunderman Thompson India won the creative mandate for sanitaryware brand Cera after a multi-agency pitch. Its responsibility would be to help the sanitaryware brand come up with a new mission and outlook to help connect with the millennials.

Rediffusion and Tata Power 

Rediffusion won the digital, creative and media mandate of Tata Power. This includes all its business clusters including generation, transmission and distribution, renewables and new services including ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance - I think) and CSR domains. The mandate was won following a multi-agency pitch. Previously, Wunderman Thompson looked after the creative aspects of Tata Power, and the mandate of the media duties were fulfilled by GroupM’s m/SIX. Rediffusion also won the account of Garden Vareli, Tynor (largest manufacturer and exporter of orthotics) and Glucon-D (glucose powder brand). 

Havas Media Group India and Slurrp Farm

Havas Media Group won the integrated media mandate of Slurrp Farm, a millet-based children’s food brand. The mandate includes both offline and online media duties, and will be handled out of the agency’s Gurgaon office. Earlier this summer, the brand launched its first-ever brand campaign, ‘Yes Ka Time Aa Gaya’ that featured investor and brand ambassador, actor Anushka Sharma. Two weeks ago, the advertising conglomerate launched Cake, an agency with its concentrations on sport, culture and entertainment.

iProspect India and Monster.com

Dentsu India’s iProspect India has won the digital mandate for the global employment website Monster.com. The account was won following a multi agency pitch and would be handled out of the agency’s Gurgaon office. The agency’s focus would be on performance marketing, and would manage the brand throughout India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. 
 
Gozoop Group and Spexmojo

Integrated marketing solutions agency Gozoop Group has won the social media mandate of Spexmojo, an online eyewear discovery platform. Having won the account after a multi-agency pitch, the brand would be handled by the agency’s Mumbai office. The focus of the agency would be on the management of the brand, which includes monitoring, listening, responding to queries and reporting to users online. Further, the agency will also focus on creating content on Instagram, Facebook, and on Twitter.

Duroflex and Vector Brand Solutions

Brand and communications consultancy Vector Brand Solutions has won the brand and communications mandate of sleep solutions company Duroflex. The agency’s responsibility would include brand building and communication development across formats, platforms and channels for the company. Recently, Duroflex released an ad starring actor Alia Bhatt who was seen advocating to buy expert-approved mattresses. The TVC was created by Tilt Brand Solutions.

MullenLowe Lintas and Vadilal Ice Creams

Marketing communications company MullenLowe Lintas has been appointed as the creative agency for Vadilal Ice Creams, ice cream brand. The agency will be responsible for Vadilal Ice Creams’ creative mandate for international business.

WatConsult and OLX Autos

Digital marketing agency WatConsult bagged the online reputation management and social listening mandate for digital automotive solutions provider, OLX Autos. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch, and will be managed by the agency’s Mumbai office. As per the mandate, WATConsult will be in charge of response management of the brand, which includes monitoring, listening, responding to queries and reporting to users online.

Absolute Barbecues and Schbang

Barbecue buffet restaurant Absolute Barbecues has awarded its digital mandate to marketing solutions agency Schbang, to increase engagement with its repeat customers and potential customers. In January, Schbang had bagged the digital creative and media mandates for CavinKare's Spinz, Nyle and Chik. The accounts that were won following a multi-agency pitch. The agency’s mandate would be to handle the strategic content and design across all social media platforms as well as performance media for the brands. 

Tally Solutions and Social Panga

Enterprise resource planning company Tally Solutions has appointed digital marketing agency Social Panga as its social media marketing partner. The mandate involves fulfilling the brand’s objective of establishing greater connect and engagement across customer and segment profiles. In May, Social Panga—which had established its presence in Bengaluru and Delhi/NCR—completed one year of its operations in Mumbai.

upGrad Placements and Olevea

The placement arm of edtech major, upGrad has awarded the social and digital mandate to Olevea, a marketing and advertising agency. The agency’s mandate would include assisting upGrad Placements by strategising, conceptualizing, and managing their social and digital media presence.

RenewBuy and Maverick India

Maverick India, an integrated marketing communication creative advertising agency has bagged the digital and creative solutions mandate for RenewBuy, an online insurance distribution platform. Maverick India’s responsibility would include bringing a fresh set of ideas to achieve the brand’s objective of achieving better engagement across their B2B channels. Recently, RenewBuy appointed Nishant Mehta as the chief business officer where he would be responsible for driving new growth avenues for the firm's insurtech business model. And in February, RenewBuy acquired Bengaluru-based fintech start-up Artivatic.AI in order to scale up business and improve technology solutions.

Kingfisher Premium and Kingfisher Ultra, and Zoo Media Network

Kingfisher has given its creative and branded content duties for its flagship products Kingfisher Premium and Kingfisher Ultra to multiple agencies within the Zoo Media Network. The mandate was won by Foxymoron following a multi agency pitch. The business will be handled by the agency’s Gurgaon office. The branded content mandate was won by Rabbit Hole, a video content solutions agency that would be handled by the agency’s Mumbai headquarters.

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