VML India has strengthened its senior leadership team with the appointment of Kunal Roy as Managing Partner – West & Growth Lead, India, and Shekhar Khanna as Chief Strategy Officer, signalling a renewed focus on integrated, growth-driven solutions.
Roy brings over two decades of experience across Asia, spanning brand building, agency leadership and business transformation. He joins from Dentsu Creative Malaysia, where he served as CEO and led the integration of six companies into a unified creative network. Earlier, as Group Chief Strategy Officer at Publicis Groupe Malaysia, he steered the organisation to three consecutive Effie Agency of the Year wins. His portfolio includes work across global brands such as McDonald’s, Samsung, HSBC, Unilever and Nestlé.
At VML India, Roy will lead the Mumbai office and drive national growth in close partnership with CEO Babita Baruah. His mandate includes building future-ready brands by navigating an increasingly complex and tech-led marketing landscape.
Khanna, meanwhile, steps in as Chief Strategy Officer with over 20 years of experience across APAC markets. With a background that spans research, digital, creative, activation and media, he is known for championing integrated strategy. His role will focus on strengthening VML India’s strategic planning capabilities, working alongside National Planning Director and BX Lead Shubhrojyoti Roy.
Babita Baruah, CEO, VML India, welcomed the new leaders, stating, “Kunal and Shekhar join us at an exciting moment for VML India as we expand our capabilities and sharpen our focus on growth-led solutions. Their leadership will play a key role in shaping the next chapter of our journey and delivering even greater value for our clients.”
"VML India is at an exciting point of inflection and I am thrilled to come on board at this time," said Kunal Roy, Managing Partner – West & Growth Lead, VML India. “Growth today is about creating value in a way that has real business impact. By bringing together creativity, commerce and customer experience, I’m eager to create lasting & meaningful value with our teams, for our clients.”
Shekhar Khanna, Chief Strategy Officer, VML India, added, “In a world where brands are navigating constant change, strategy has to do more than simplify — it has to connect. The real opportunity is to integrate creativity, media, data and culture into a unified thinking system that drives real impact. I’m excited to build that with teams and clients in India.”
As the agency accelerates its expansion, these appointments underscore VML India’s intent to align creativity, strategy, commerce and technology, positioning itself for sustained growth in a rapidly evolving market.
