Following the historic completion of Omnicom’s acquisition of Interpublic Group on November 26, 2025, the world’s largest advertising network has begun formalising its global and India-specific blueprint. The combined organisation will operate under the Omnicom banner, led globally by Chairman & CEO John Wren, who is now overseeing the unification of IPG’s capabilities into a single, intelligence-led creative and marketing powerhouse.
As the consolidation brings multiple agency brands under fewer networks, an important question emerges: Will this strengthen brands or create new challenges? In several cases, competing brands may now sit within the same network, raising concerns about conflict management and prioritisation. With legacy agencies like DDB Mudra, MullenLowe, and FCB exiting as standalone entities, long-standing client–agency relationships also face disruption.
Many brand teams, accustomed to working with familiar creative partners, may be uncertain about whether the new consolidated teams will understand their vision, retain the same depth of category knowledge, or manage day-to-day operations with the same continuity as before.
Consolidation: Impact on Brands
Amer Jaleel, former Group Chief Creative Officer and Chairperson of MullenLowe Lintas Group, talking about why Lintas endured even when other legacy brands didn’t, says that when this conversation is contextualised for India, Lintas stands in a category of its own. “Put all the so-called legacy agency brands on one side and Lintas on the other, there’s nothing that even comes close. Combine all of them together and that probably accounts for one good year of Lintas’ work. So yes, business exigencies aside, it makes complete sense to keep Lintas alive even if you’re shutting down MullenLowe,” he highlights.
On what gets lost when agencies disappear, Jaleel points to something deeper than structure: knowledge. “You lose the overlaps in generational knowledge wealth that turned agencies into institutions. So many clients have told me that marketing heads may come and go, but as long as Lintas has custody, the brand is safe. At Lintas, we learnt from one category, one client, one brand and cross-applied it to another with surprising and stunning results. That’s what made legacy agencies great. What holding companies think of such depth is obvious from the number of suffixes Lintas has carried over the years,” he highlighted.
When asked what this means for brands, Jaleel says, “Clients don’t care about networks or their global plans; they have enough daily digital stress as it is. They’re not going to analyse whether a newly merged setup can handle their brand’s future. In today’s marketing climate, where thinking itself is hurting brands, clients will simply walk away. They’ll drop the new structure and head straight to their default option: a pitch,” he mentions.
Toru Jhaveri, Former Head of Strategy, DDB Mudra, says client trust and brand equity endure as long as teams remain familiar and work stays true to the brand. Structural changes can unsettle teams, and if resistance to change affects work, clients will notice. “This is a test of agency leadership and account level culture. Some teams will adapt quickly; others may need more time,” she highlights.
Jhaveri sees the integration of AI and streamlined data access as a key driver of the merger, with leaders like S. Subramanyeswar spearheading knowledge management initiatives. She expects Omnicom India’s leadership to guide strategically without heavy-handed top-down diktats. “The biggest opportunity lies in pooling data to benchmark campaigns, identify what works, implement it, and charge accordingly. The biggest risk is losing organisational memory, great work often comes from remembering small insights about consumers, brands, or past campaigns”, she adds.
Rohit Ohri, Former Chairman & CEO of FCB India, calls Omnicom’s move ‘undeniably bold.’ He notes that global networks usually roll out new identities, structures, and leadership changes gradually, but this time everything was announced at exceptional speed, almost as if efficiency had to be demonstrated immediately. In a relationship-driven market like India, he warns, such rapid action can cut both ways. “Legacy agency brands carry decades of trust and cultural equity. Abruptly folding multiple identities into a few global units may look efficient globally, but it disrupts local client dynamics,” he says.
According to Ohri, the biggest short-term risk isn’t client churn but talent churn. When people feel their identity or future is uncertain, the most valued creative and business leaders, those closest to clients, are often the first to leave. In a market where differentiation rests on people, this becomes a serious structural threat.
Yet he also sees a major opportunity: the chance to rebuild a truly integrated full-service model. The industry has long talked about integration; this consolidation finally gives the scale and alignment to make it real, provided cultural identities are preserved even as operations merge.
Chandramouli Nilakantan, CEO, TRA Research, says this level of consolidation reflects the global pressure on agencies. When efficiency and scale become the primary justification, it often signals tough times. “In India, where identity, relationships, and specialised expertise matter, folding legacy agencies into larger networks naturally raises concerns about losing distinctiveness,” he states.
He adds that mergers succeed only if client transitions are handled carefully. Clients stay for people and trust, not structures. If those relationships are disrupted, consolidation can erode decades of built equity.
Nilakantan notes that India is highly sensitive to agency identity and local leadership. Early market sentiment suggests clients within these networks are already reconsidering their ties, viewing the merger as a disruption rather than an evolution.
Dr Kushal Sanghvi, Director, Komerz, notes that potential conflicts of interest arising from managing competing clients have precedent whenever networks merge.
“Such situations are handled through careful senior-level planning, with strict, stonewalled teams established at the corporate level to ensure there is no breach of trust, data, or confidentiality. Each team operates independently, ensuring that one side does not have access to the other’s information, a critical measure given today’s reliance on data,” he mentions.
Rise of Independents?
Over the past year, IPG has undergone one of the most aggressive restructuring drives in agency history eliminating 3,200 jobs (including 800 in September 2025 alone) and vacating 135,000 sq. ft. of office space. Omnicom too has streamlined its operations, reportedly trimming around 3,000 roles, according to media reports.
Post-acquisition, the turbulence has only intensified. Omnicom Group CEO John Wren confirmed that more than 4,000 positions will be cut as part of the IPG integration, largely across administrative and select leadership roles. He also projected annual savings of $750 million from these measures.
Wren stressed that this isn’t an anomaly; the entire industry is recalibrating. WPP Media, for example, is also expected to undergo layoffs under its new chief, Cindy Rose.
Unsurprisingly, the mood inside agencies reflects this uncertainty. With the CEO seat now formalised, industry insiders say, senior leaders are quietly exploring opportunities outside, mid-level teams are polishing resumes.
Yet beneath this anxiety lies a counter-narrative, one filled with opportunity. The churn within large global networks is creating fresh space for India’s young independent agencies, many of which have already been punching above their weight through sharp creative work.
For senior leaders impacted by layoffs, the moment is equally ripe: With decades of brand experience and creative pedigree, starting independent shops presents a viable and exciting next chapter.
Agencies like Talented, tgthr, Fundamental and others have already demonstrated that nimble, senior-led teams can become trusted creative partners for brands seeking agility, originality and deeper involvement from decision-makers.
As network agencies brace for integration hurdles and potential business slowdowns, Indie agencies have an opening to dominate a creative landscape long controlled by global giants.
In short, while consolidation may unsettle the big networks, it could simultaneously accelerate the rise of India’s new-generation independent agencies.
Azazul Haque, Group Chief Creative Officer, Creativeland Asia, believes the Omnicom–IPG merger will have a limited impact on India’s advertising ecosystem. “If anything, it will help the two groups operate more frugally,” he says.
“But the real need of the hour is not consolidation, it’s restructuring. The leadership of both networks in India is still quite traditional and parochial. They need to be more tech-first and rethink the old-school advertising setup. At a pitch stage, you may see one less agency in the running, but that’s about it,” he points out.
Haque argues that the current landscape belongs to independents. “We’re in the era of agile, adaptable, lean agencies. These mergers will only make big networks even bigger, and the bigger you are, the harder it is to adapt. Many of the agencies under these two groups still operate with very traditional mindsets. So no, I don’t think independents will be affected. They’ll continue to emerge and continue to flourish.”
Pallavi Chakravarti, Founder & CCO, Fundamental, says that from the perspective of an independent agency, the focus has always been on hard work rather than headlines.
“As an indie, carving out our niche has meant keeping our heads down and our sleeves rolled up from day one. Our competitive landscape has always been vast and varied, and it may get even more fiercely contested in the coming year,” she says.
She urges both networks and independent agencies to resist opportunistic behaviour as the market shifts. “We must remember that what threatens one of us threatens all of us. We must come together to minimise the impact on our people’s lives,” she asserts.
Mithila Saraf, CEO, Famous Innovations, says the Omnicom–IPG merger will undoubtedly reshape how creative agencies compete, particularly in large-scale pitches.
“Their combined scale will allow them to offer more integrated solutions, which may push clients to expect greater efficiency, broader capabilities, and more competitive pricing,” she notes.
“At the same time, it sharpens the value of independent agencies. Clients still want original thinking, agility, and access to senior talent qualities that independents deliver more consistently. Yes, pricing pressure may rise in some pitch situations, but the merger ultimately underscores the need for creative partners who can move fast and think independently,” she adds.
On whether the consolidation will influence the briefs, budgets, or timelines directed toward independents, Saraf adds, “During consolidations, clients often reassess how they structure their agency relationships. Some may lean toward bundled services, but many look for stability and sharper ideas during periods of change.”
Prashant Gopalakrishnan, Founding Partner, Talented, states that whenever two global giants come together, the first ripples are felt by clients. He adds that even with the best planned transitions, some degree of flux is unavoidable, and clients pick up on it quickly because major structural changes can pull decision-making away from the people they work with every day.
“Large global brands may not feel this as sharply, but for mid-sized and growing clients, this can be the right moment to bring in a second partner. Not out of fear, but out of sensible planning. A simple ‘Plan B’, as we call it in advertising,” he highlights. “As someone from an independent agency, this is also a moment for shops like us to find further relevance as the steadier kind of partner who offers clarity, speed and senior attention while the larger system finds its balance,” he adds.
Vibhor Yadav, Regional Creative Officer (North & South) and Founding Partner, tgthr, notes that clients have seen the talent exodus that typically accompanies large-scale consolidations, so some anxiety is only natural.
“When an entire creative leadership resets overnight, years of trust and working chemistry are disrupted. Rebuilding that takes time but brand deadlines don’t wait. This is why many clients will turn toward more agile setups that can take on ambitious, experimental briefs without being slowed down by internal restructuring,” he points out.
He adds that mid-sized challenger brands the ones hungry for bold, culture-forward work, may feel overlooked inside the massive structure created by the merger. With their priorities at risk of slipping down the ladder, independent agencies become not just an alternative but an obvious choice.
Yadav says the merger gives clients a timely reason to shift their bets toward agencies built on focus rather than scale. Budgets won’t disappear; they’ll simply be reallocated.
Sudharshan Anandkumar, Founder, Ting, says that large network agencies are often weighed down by layers of processes and internal approvals. “As networks grow bigger, the machinery grows slower, the work becomes less personal, and the local nuance starts to fade. That’s where Indian independent agencies have a real advantage,” he highlights.
He explains that independents, regardless of size, can move faster, innovate more freely, and hyper-localise with ease. With execution no longer the biggest barrier, the playing field has levelled. Independent agencies today stand shoulder to shoulder with global networks.
He adds that if anything, this merger should push the Indian advertising ecosystem to sweat harder and smile wider.
Many of the outgoing creative leaders are likely to launch their own independent agencies, offering clients the agile, innovative solutions they were previously unable to provide within the hierarchical structures of large networks. Others may join competing network agencies, bringing their expertise to drive growth and strengthen those organisations.
The Omnicom–IPG merger is a watershed moment for Indian advertising. It boosts global scale and AI capabilities, stirs uncertainty for legacy agencies and talent, and accelerates opportunities for nimble, culturally attuned independent agencies. By January 1, 2026, as new leadership settles in, the hope is clear: a sharper, more creative, and data-driven future for Indian advertising.
What transpired this far
As part of this transition, Omnicom has announced one of the most ambitious leadership and structural overhauls the Indian advertising market has seen in recent years.
At the helm of this new structure is industry titan Prasoon Joshi, appointed Chairman, Omnicom Advertising India. The agency brand CEOs and the OA India organization will report into Aditya Kanthy, President & MD, OA India, supported by Prasoon Joshi in his role as Chairman.
Strengthening the strategic backbone of the reconstituted entity, S. Subramanyeswar (Subbu) takes on dual responsibilities as Chief Strategy Officer, Omnicom Advertising India, and Chief Knowledge Officer for OA Asia.
The creative integration in India
India has emerged as a crucial pilot market for Omnicom’s global restructuring, which involves integrating IPG’s agencies into a simplified, high-impact network model. As part of this shift, Omnicom Advertising India will now be anchored around three core creative networks in line with the global positioning: TBWA\Lintas, BBDO Group, and McCann.
This marks a decisive sunset for legacy creative brands such as FCB India, DDB Mudra and MullenLowe, all of which will no longer operate as standalone agencies.
Their consolidation is part of a broader shift reshaping global advertising, where creative networks are increasingly being folded into fewer, stronger entities. The trend is not new: Last year, Publicis Groupe merged Publicis Worldwide and Leo Burnett to create Leo, while WPP combined Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R to form the unified VML.
As budgets tighten and platform-driven pressures accelerate, consolidation has become the industry’s default response, a way to streamline operations, centralise capabilities and future-proof creative businesses for an increasingly integrated, intelligence-led era.
A sweeping realignment is already underway across these networks. McCann India will be led by Dheeraj Sinha and Rahul Mathew. BBDO India, meanwhile, remains under the stewardship of Josy Paul, ensuring stability amid the transformation.
In the digital ecosystem, the coming together of Kinnect and 22feet Tribal has been formalised, with Chandni Shah stepping up as CEO of the unified digital-first agency Kinnect X 22feet Tribal.
Rohan Mehta will spearhead digital integration and capability-building across the entire group, strengthening Omnicom’s push toward its global ambition of becoming an intelligence-driven, integrated marketing and sales organisation.
On the TBWA front, the newly consolidated TBWA\Lintas will be led by Govind Pandey and Prateek Bhardwaj combining the global disruption philosophy of TBWA with Lintas’ deep-rooted Indian legacy.
Integration on the media side
On the media side, Tony Harradine, Omnicom Media, CEO – APAC, in an internal memo announced the new leadership structure for the region, including India.
Kartik Sharma has been appointed CEO of Omnicom Media India, while Amardeep Singh, Co-Founder & erstwhile CEO Interactive Avenues, who was elevated to CEO of IPG Mediabrands in May 2025, will take on the role of COO of Omnicom Media India. Rishit Mehta has been named CFO of OM India.
Additionally, Shashi Sinha, Executive Chairman of IPG Mediabrands India, will serve as Strategic Advisor to Omnicom Media India.
The next phase
This restructuring marks one of the most sweeping creative and media agencies consolidations in the history of India’s advertising industry. With several storied global brands now phased out and absorbed into larger network identities, Omnicom is placing a bold bet on the power of fewer, more formidable platforms backed by unified leadership, deeper digital muscle, and tightly integrated operations.
According to media reports, the next phase of this transformation is set for January 2026, when Omnicom will unveil its refreshed global identity alongside the next-generation Omni platform which is its advanced, AI-driven marketing and intelligence engine.
IPG’s AI systems, Interact and IPG Engine, could potentially be integrated into Omni, creating a unified intelligence layer that combines the strengths of both organisations’ technologies.
As the global marketing world shifts toward AI-led creativity, analytics and automation, Omnicom is positioning itself to demonstrate a unified, future-ready platform, one that aims to set the benchmark for AI-powered advertising worldwide.
With this consolidation, the combined entity now commands nearly $25 billion in global revenue, surpassing WPP’s $18.8 billion in 2024 and becoming the world’s largest advertising network by topline.
But the scale also comes with questions. The confirmed disappearance of three long-standing creative agency brands so far, has prompted concerns about what might be lost in the process: the dilution of agency identities, the stability of long-running client relationships, and the complexities of merging creative cultures that have developed independently over decades.
The Omnicom restructuring exercise was like watching Game of Thrones on the digital news screens with the power shifting hands, collapse of ancient empires and building of new alliances. It was also in equal parts bloody considering the 4000 jobs that will further be at stake globally with the integration of the merged entity.
The new scheme of things is confusing enough for the industry (refer to the musical chairs in second last para), additionally, with client conflicts likely to arise out of multiple competing agencies folded into one group, it may be quite a daunting task to pull them all successfully under one umbrella.
Just to give the example of automobile as a category, for e.g., Volkswagen India (passenger vehicle business) was handled by DDB Mudra and 22 feet Tribal, a big part of the former agency is likely to fold into McCann Worldgroup say sources, and the latter brand is expected to share a name with Kinnect forming Kinnect X 22feet Tribal. Interestingly, if sources are to be believed, parts of FCB shall also fold into McCann, even as details are not known on which agencies will. FCB Ulka and FCB Kinnect both handled a fair bit of Tata Motors’ business (passenger vehicle and EV). The question then is will Volkswagen and Tata Motors end up in the same agency and cause any kind of client conflict? An Omnicom Advertising India Spokesperson clarified exclusively to IMPACT, “The BBDO Group will comprise BBDO India, Ulka and Mudra. While it is true that based on client considerations & continuity some parts of FCB and DDB will be moved into McCann and BBDO Group, however, there will be a multi-market team servicing Volkswagen known as Bernbach, in recognition of DDB founder Bill Bernbach’s relationship with the car marque. As stated earlier, leadership announcements will be made when ready for release.” OA India is implying that there will be no client conflict in the above case.
Mergers in the past, however have demonstrated the need for tough decisions, and in some cases how agencies had to forsake some brands as part of collateral damage, owing to client conflicts. With multiple agencies folding into each other, high level discussions are on at the leadership level here at Omnicom too, on how to tread carefully to cause minimum loss, if at all.
A marketer working for an automobile brand tells IMPACT, “Usually brands like Tata Motors choose to sign exclusive contracts with agencies to avoid having the agency work on a competitor’s brand at the same time. Particularly, when big launches are involved and secrecy becomes crucial. Agencies have time and again circumvented this challenge by launching a sister agency under the same network which can work on a competitor’s brand. The client may agree to it, but it is highly unlikely that a client will agree to the same agency working with two clients who directly compete in the category. There is always the possibility of a shared intel even if the agency promises airtight teams, considering most networks have one P&L for their many agencies, and they are working in the interest of the entire group. So, it becomes risky for the client.”
On the media side, in the luxury car category — Audi works with PHD Media (Omnicom) currently and Volvo works with Initiative (IPG). OMG recently won the Tata Motors (passenger cars) media account while Mahindra (passenger cars) works with Lodestar UM (IPG). Sources tell IMPACT that discussions on the fate of the media agency brands are still underway and currently there is no plan to merge or dilute the big names on either side, considering the large client mandates they handle. With the big businesses riding on it, it would not be wise to risk losing a brand owing to client conflict. Interestingly, revenue wise IPG Mediabrands has had an upper hand in India, despite Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG, with IPG Mediabrands managing to close $2 billion in billings in 2024 which is believed to be far more than double of what Omnicom Media Group billed in the same period.
Sources have told IMPACT that discussions with brands where teams will not change started a short while ago, while those clients whose business will move into another agency are anxious, because of lack of clarity. It is imperative to retain client confidence at this point by taking them into confidence on the planned steps. But insiders say it is not taking place at the pace it needs to be done in.
IMPACT spoke to a few brands which will have to be moved from the IPG umbrella to the Omnicom umbrella, on how smooth the transition has been this far. On the creative side, one client which is becoming part of the merged entity — TBWA/Lintas said, “We don’t have any concern at this point, so far there will be no change in the team we work with at the agency, but even if that happens, we are not worried, because changes in the team that services us take place even otherwise without any merger.”
Another brand marketer who works with the formerly IPG agency, Initiative told IMPACT, “They were well prepared and started before schedule to make the transition into Omnicom Media seamless for us, as a client.”
A third marketer whose brand has been serviced by Lodestar for years shared with IMPACT, “There has been no change for us, those who were working for our brand continue to do so. As far as client conflict because of some of our competitors working with OMG are concerned, we are told that the teams will be kept separate. I am not too concerned about the future right now and will allow this to settle down a little before passing a judgement on the state of affairs.”
On the agency front, at a personnel level, there is uncertainty on who will be clubbed with whom, under which of the newly finalised agency brands. With Group announcement coming in stages about the future of each vertical and in the absence of a clear channel of communication, several agency leaders besides the top layer, are in a flux, raising questions on whether this could have been handled better. Also, there is ambiguity on who from their teams will stay and who will be given the boot in the near future. The next big announcement is expected in the first week of January.
As far as synergies are concerned, as the discussions are at a nascent stage there is no clarity on whether all Omnicom agencies will be housed under one roof as is the trend with holding companies these days. At this point it appears to be business as usual with each of them staying where they are.
On the media agency business, besides the four Group roles, namely Kartik Sharma, Shashi Sinha, Amardeep Singh and Rishit Mehta, little has been spoken about the leadership of individual agencies, on whether there will be a change or status quo.
Also, to explain the musical chairs that transpired in India simply — Prasoon Joshi from formerly IPG’s McCann was moved to head Omnicom Advertising India, while Dheeraj Sinha from then IPG’s FCB slid into a McCann role, even as the name FCB was snuffed out. Joining him at then IPG’s McCann is Rahul Mathew who drove straight from DDB Mudra, an agency whose obituary was quietly written by its masters at Omnicom. Subramanyeswar aka Subbu from IPG’s MullenLowe Lintas Group ended up in a Group role at Omnicom Advertising India as CSO, while his agency name was partly axed, with only Lintas surviving. Prateek Bhardwaj from IPG’s Lowe Lintas and Govind Pandey from Omnicom’s TBWA, two competing agencies join forces to make TBWA\Lintas while IPG’s FCB Kinnect comes together with Omnicom’s 22 feet Tribal to form Kinnect X 22feet Tribal led by Chandni Shah. Rohan Mehta goes from leading a single agency — IPG’s FCB Kinnect to a group role at Omnicom Advertising India to push their digital integration. Only Josy Paul and Aditya Kanthy stay where they were — Josy as BBDO India Chairman, and Aditya at OA India in his Group role as President and MD. Whether it will be a culture mismatch or a giant success with most leaders moved to an altogether different unit, only time can tell.
While those who grabbed a seat in this game of musical chairs, heaved a sigh of relief, sources say questions are being raised internally on the allotment of portfolios. Even as those who haven’t won so far in the game are waiting for the music to start again.
