MAM
Dentsu expands India executive council post Ohri’s relocation
MUMBAI: With an aim to drive the group’s business in India, Dentsu Aegis Network has expanded its executive council in the country. The move comes post the recent relocation of Rohit Ohri to Singapore.
The council consists of leaders of all the Network companies and heads of key functions. This will give the network in India an opportunity to offer specialist services to their clients under one umbrella.
Chaired by Dentsu Aegis Network chairman and CEO South Asia Ashish Bhasin, the executive council includes Anand Bhadkamkar (Group Finance), Dimple Maheshwary (HR), Divya Karani (Dentsu Media), Simi Sabhaney (Dentsu Communications), Makato Nakao (Japanese International Clients), Kartik Iyer (Carat), Haresh Nayak (Posterscope), Sidharth Rao (Dentsu Webchutney), Narayan Devanathan (Dentsu Creative Impact), Shamsuddin Jasani (Isobar), Vivek Bhargava (iProspect), Nabendu Bhattacharyya (Milestone Brandcom), Rajiv Dingra (WAT Consult), Umesh Shrikhande (Taproot Dentsu), S. Yesudas (Vizeum) and R. Ravishankar (psLIVE). C.P Arora will be a special invitee.
“I am proud to say that we are the only media and advertising group in India to provide world-class specialist services with such depth under one umbrella,” said Bhasin.
“We want to offer our clients all the benefits of specialization without the hassles of silos and our unique One P&L structure enables us to do so. Consequently, the Executive Council has the important role of capitalizing on this advantage. Since we have been the fastest growing agency group for two years in a row, we are now amongst the top 3 groups in India. By Dec 2017 we aim to be the top 2, which will be a mandate for this Council,” he added.
The members of the executive council will be encouraged to think beyond their immediate roles for the efficiency of the group’s 1700 personnel across seven cities and 15 companies.
With specialist companies like Posterscope and Milestone (OOH), Taproot Dentsu (creative), Carat (media) and with nearly 700 personnel across the digital space in SEO, SEM, and social media, the expanded Executive Council will now aim to build on this momentum.
Brands
Pocket FM elevates Lalit Gangwar to COO to drive global growth
Founding member to lead operations, monetisation and expansion across markets
MUMBAI: Pocket FM has elevated Lalit Gangwar to chief operating officer, tasking the founding team member with leading global business operations as the company sharpens its international growth strategy.
In his new role, Gangwar will oversee end-to-end operations across markets, including growth, monetisation and execution for the company’s audio business. The appointment comes as Pocket FM looks to strengthen its operating foundation and build a more predictable, scalable global business.
Gangwar has been closely involved in shaping the company’s trajectory from its early days. He played a key role in building the growth and marketing playbook in India, helping the platform scale to over 150 million users within its first year and establish a strong foothold in the audio storytelling category.
He later led Pocket FM’s expansion into the United States, where he set up teams, defined market strategy and drove scale, contributing significantly to the company’s international ambitions.
Pocket FM co-founder and CEO Rohan Nayak said, “Lalit has been central to Pocket FM’s journey from the very beginning. He has built our growth engine and scaled our business across markets.” He added that the company’s focus on nurturing internal talent makes Gangwar a natural choice to lead the next phase.
Gangwar said, “Pocket FM has always been driven by a simple belief that powerful stories can travel across borders and create meaningful impact.” He noted that the company will continue to focus on scaling markets, investing in AI-led storytelling and strengthening monetisation.
As COO, Gangwar is expected to bring greater operating discipline while building systems, talent and processes to support long-term growth.
With leadership continuity and a clear global focus, Pocket FM appears to be turning the page to its next chapter, one that aims to take its storytelling playbook well beyond home turf.
