AD Agencies
22feet Tribal makes two senior hires
MUMBAI: 22feet Tribal Worldwide has roped in two senior professionals to strengthen its leadership. While Axon Alex has been hired as strategic planning lead, Shikha Davessar, has been promoted to EVP & head – client business. Both will report to 22feet Tribal president Vanaja Pillai.
Axon who has 16 years work experience is a MICA alumnus who began his advertising journey with DDB Tribal. Some of the key roles in his professional journey include strategy director at BBH India and managing partner at Jack in the Box Worldwide where he played a significant role in contributing to the agency’s growth. Axon boasts a strong portfolio with marquee brands such as McDonald’s, Vi (Vodafone Idea), Mars Petcare, ITC Hotels.
Shikha has been with the DDB Mudra Group for close to 10 years, and has worked with several prestigious Fortune 500 global brands including Britannia, Battlegrounds Mobile India, Diageo, Flipkart, LG, and Mars Petcare. Shikha strongly believes in data-driven decision making but she emphasises the importance of fresh creativity to fuel it all.
“I am delighted with these developments at 22feetTribal Worldwide, building off the success we experienced over the last year,” says Pillai. “Axon joins us at a perfect time, with an enviable roster of clients and exciting business challenges ahead. He brings a wealth of experience from his 16 years in the industry, including key roles at esteemed agencies and a strong portfolio with marquee brands. His expertise will undoubtedly enrich our strategic capabilities and propel our agency’s further growth.
We’ve made great strides in new business and creative wins, and Shikha’s contributions have been significant in making this happen. Her journey within our agency exemplifies our commitment to nurturing and recognizing internal talent, and her elevation is a well-deserved recognition. We can’t wait for the amazing journey we have ahead at 22feetTribal WW!”
Adds Alex: “This agency in its previous avatar was where it all started for me, and I made the promise to come back someday. I’ve come back not on the back of the promise I made but the promise 22Feet holds. The teams have built a reputation in being in the consideration set when you think about the top agencies in the country. Strategy is simply the process of charting the way forward and I hope I’ll play a part in our growth story through the work for our clients and the thinking behind it.”
MUMBAI: Mar-tech network Wondrlab Network is in talks to acquire advertising major Madison World, according to media reports, in a move that could reshape India’s agency landscape.
In a statement shared with Social Samosa, Wondrlab Network founder and CEO Saurabh Varma, confirmed that the group is actively evaluating acquisition opportunities but declined to confirm any specific transaction.
“We have consistently stated that Wondrlab is building for scale, and acquisitions remain an important part of that strategy. We are in discussions with multiple companies across capabilities that strengthen our platform-first, full-funnel marketing and technology offering. Any development will be communicated at the appropriate time,” Varma said.
Wondrlab has pursued acquisitions as part of an ambitious plan to buy 26 agencies across three phases. In 2025, it completed its seventh acquisition, underscoring its appetite for inorganic growth.
According to reports, Madison founder Sam Balsara is seeking around Rs 1,000 crore for the agency. If the Wondrlab deal goes through, it would rank as the largest acquisition of an Indian agency by another Indian agency.
Wondrlab was launched in November 2020 by Saurabh Varma, Vandana Varma, and Rakesh Hinduja. Its first acquisition followed swiftly with the December 2020 purchase of Amit Akali’s creative shop, What’s Your Problem.
Since then, the group has steadily expanded its footprint. It acquired influencer marketing firm Opportune and performance marketing agency Neon in 2022. In 2023, it bought Salesforce consultancy and data analytics firm Cymetrix, alongside Poland-based WebTalk, marking its entry into Europe. It later added influencer marketing agency OPA and, last year, took a majority stake in BigStep Technologies, a generative AI and cloud-native software firm.
Madison, meanwhile, has long been a target for global advertising groups. Over the years, it has drawn interest from WPP, Publicis Groupe and Dentsu. In May 2025, Havas was reported to be the frontrunner, with an offer of about Rs 700 crore for a majority stake.
Earlier talks with WPP in 2015, when Madison was valued at roughly Rs 500 crore, collapsed over valuation and equity differences. Discussions with Publicis and Dentsu also failed to yield a deal.
