MAM
Ogilvy strengthens Mumbai team with 4 new senior hires
MUMBAI: After fabulous few months of winning new businesses, Ogilvy Mumbai has appointed four senior creative directors.
Ogilvy India NCD Abhijit Avasthi said, “In order to bolster our creative strength we have brought in these stars. Each of them has a unique way of thinking which will enrich Ogilvy greatly.”
The four new senior creative directors will be based in Mumbai and report to the senior creative and business heads in Ogilvy Advertising.
Neville Shah, a post graduate from Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication, completed copywriting at The Creative Circus in Atlanta has been appointed as group CD. His work experience spans over companies like MTV India & MTV Indies, Commonwealth Worldwide, McCann Worldgroup, Creativeland Asia, JWT, Mudra, TBWA, McCann-Erickson, Times of India Group, JAM, 107.1 FM Rainbow and The Company Theatre. He has worked on Indian and multinational brands such as Chevrolet, Set Max, Standard Chartered Bank, Nissan, Airtel, Philips, ESPN, Star Sports, Bajaj Allianz, Parle Agro, Dabur, ITC and several more.
Syed Mohammed Talha Nazim, who started his career at 19, has spent the first 19 years of his career in Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore and Kuala Lumpur. Having worked in agencies such as Burnett & McCann on prestigious clients like Chevrolet, BMW, Fiat, Petronas, Coca-Cola, Nescafe, Dutch Lady, Aircel, McDonalds, to name some, he chose to return to Mumbai with Ogilvy.
An IBF graduate from Sir JJ Institute of Applied Art, Mahesh Madhukar Parab, has worked with agencies such as Da’Cunha Communications, Ambience Publicis, McCann Erickson, DDB Mudra and Contract Advertising. His work experiences spans across Indian and multinational brands such as Amul, Western Union, Siemens, HUL, Marico, Reliance, Yellow Pages, Hanes, Tata Indicom, BPL Mobile, NEO, Star Plus, Edelweiss, Tata Motor International, Asian Paints, Cadbury’s, BATA, Yamaha, Dabur, Wrigley’s, UTI Bank, Kotak Bank, to name a few.
And lastly, Talha Bin Mohsin is a post graduate in Communication after doing his Bachelors in International Business & Finance. Mohsin has worked with agencies such as Contract, DDB Mudra, Leo Burnett & McCann Erickson. His work experience covers brands such as Coca Cola, National Geographic Channel, Schneider Electric, Philips Lighting, HBO, McDonald’s, Dabur, Godrej, Big Bazaar, Maharashtra Tourism, Parachute, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Barclays Bank, Radio Mirchi, Mediker, Twinings, Wrigley’s (Boomer & Orbit), Yamaha, Bata, Cadbury (Choclairs, Halls), Asian Paints (Tractor, Apcolite), Tata Motors.
On the new appointments, Ogilvy Mumbai & Kolkata president Navin Talreja said, “New ways of thinking, new kind of work and new ways of adding value is what Ogilvy is known for and what we continuously strive to achieve. To stay ahead of the game we need to constantly add new energy and new ideas to existing ones. These exceptionally talented hires will do just that.”
Brands
Wipro hires 7,500 freshers, withholds FY27 hiring outlook
Profit rises to Rs 3,522 crore, Rs 15,000 crore buyback announced.
MUMBAI- Hiring may be on, but visibility is off, Wipro is adding talent even as it pauses the crystal ball. The company hired 7,500 freshers in FY26 but stopped short of offering any hiring outlook for FY27, underscoring the uncertainty gripping the IT services sector as it pivots towards an AI-led operating model.
The disclosure came alongside its fourth-quarter earnings, where management flagged volatile demand conditions and refrained from committing to future workforce expansion. Chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil noted that over 3,000 of the total hires were onboarded in the March quarter alone, signalling continued intake despite a lack of clarity on deployment pipelines.
This divergence active hiring without forward guidance reflects a broader industry pattern where talent acquisition continues even as deal conversions remain uneven and client spending cycles stretch. Wipro expects its IT services revenue for the June quarter to range between a decline of 2 per cent and flat growth sequentially in constant currency terms, reinforcing near-term caution.
Chief executive officer Srini Pallia pointed to artificial intelligence as both a disruptor and an opportunity. He said evolving client priorities are pushing the company towards outcome-driven engagements, with Wipro increasingly focusing on a services-as-software model through its AI Native Business and Platforms unit. The shift marks a structural change from traditional headcount-led growth to AI-enabled delivery frameworks.
The company has already committed over $1 billion to its AI ecosystem, with investors closely watching how these investments translate into revenue. For now, the numbers present a mixed picture. Net profit rose sequentially to Rs 3,522 crore, while revenue grew 3 per cent to Rs 24,236 crore. However, core IT services performance remained under pressure, with full-year revenue declining 0.3 per cent in dollar terms and 1.6 per cent in constant currency.
Large deal bookings offered a counterpoint, rising 45.4 per cent year-on-year to $7.8 billion, highlighting a widening gap between deal wins and actual revenue realisation. On a quarterly basis, IT services revenue slipped 1.2 per cent sequentially, signalling continued softness in execution.
Margins, however, told a more optimistic story. Operating margins expanded to 17.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, up from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting improved cost discipline. That said, the company cautioned that upcoming wage hikes and the ramp-up of large deals could exert pressure going forward.
Attrition stood at 13.8 per cent in the March quarter, indicating stabilisation after periods of elevated churn. Alongside its earnings, Wipro also announced a Rs 15,000 crore share buyback, reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns, with a payout ratio of 88 per cent over the past three years.
Taken together, the numbers capture a company in transition investing in AI, maintaining hiring momentum, but navigating a demand environment where growth is uneven and visibility remains limited.
