MAM
Aegis Media swallows India’s Communicate 2
MUMBAI: Aegis Group has made its second acquistion in India. The UK-based agency snapped up Communicate 2, a performance marketing and search agency in India, to strengthen its digital presence in India.
Communicate 2‘s gross assets till March-end stood at Rs 129.9 million.
Pursuing targeted acquisitions, Aegis Media had acquired a majority stake in Doosra Brand Communications to add creative capability to its India outfit.
In the recent deal, Aegis has decided to merge Communicate 2 with iProspect India‘s existing operations as it seeks to strengthen its network in key cities across India and provide additional service capabilities for its clients. The agency will now be known as iProspectCommunicate 2.
“The combined employee strength will be about 150 people,” said Aegis Media chairman India and CEO South East Asia Ashish Bhasin.
Communicate 2 is a specialist performance marketing agency which focuses on search marketing, digital strategy consulting, social media and digital content production.
Vivek Bhargava will continue to lead this merged entity as CEO. “We are very happy to welcome Communicate 2, led by Vivek Bhargava, to the Aegis Media family. Communicate 2 is India‘s pioneering Search and Performance marketing agency and Vivek is a well known guru in this field. I believe that search will be the fastest growing part of our industry for the foreseeable future and as part of the iProspect network, Communicate 2 will continue to be the undisputed leader in this area,” said Bhasin.
Vivek will also join the Aegis Media India executive council. “We look forward to seeing iProspectCommunicate 2 going from strength to strength,” Bhasin added.
The acquisition, which has just been completed, is in line with the Aegis‘ strategy of increasing its digital profile and capability in faster growing regions.
Aegis Media also runs Isobar in the digital space. The interests of Isobar and iProspect, however, are very different. While Isobar is a global digital marketing network that is into web development, app development, media buying and planning for digital medium, iProspect is a global digital performance agency. iProspect helps brands maximise their online marketing RoI through paid search, social media strategy, search engine optimisation, display, mobile marketing, comparison shopping engines, conversion optimisation, attribution modelling and management, and other related services.
The Indian digital ad industry is sized at around Rs 24 billion and has a huge growth opportunity. Currently, Aegis generates close to 12 per cent of its India revenues from digital. “In the Indian digital ad pie, Aegis‘ digital agencies Isobar and iProspect constitute around 3.25 per cent. This works out to Rs 780 million,” a source said.
Originally established in 1997, Communicate 2 handles clients like Tata Consultancy Services, Cleartrip, ICICI Lombard and HDFC Bank. It has offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Pune and employs over 130 employees.
In July this year, Japanese media conglomerate Dentsu agreed to buy out UK-based Aegis Media Group for a whopping $4.9 billion.
Also read:
Dentsu to acquire Aegis for $4.9 bn
MAM
HUL appoints Pavan Bedi as CMO for Foods business
Veteran marketer with 22-plus years at Unilever takes charge of foods portfolio in Mumbai.
MUMBAI: HUL’s foods division just got a seasoned flavour boost because when it comes to seasoning success, Pavan Bedi knows exactly how to stir the pot. Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has elevated long-time leader Pavan Bedi to chief marketing officer for its Foods business, the company confirmed on 23 February 2026. Bedi, who has spent over 22 years with the FMCG giant, shared the news himself on LinkedIn, writing: “I’m delighted to share that I will be stepping into a new role as CMO Foods, HUL”.
Before this Mumbai-based appointment, Bedi served as global brand vice president for more than four years. His career is dotted with high-impact global roles: he was global brand director for Pond’s (based in Singapore), driving innovation across South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, led the high-profile rebranding of Fair & Lovely to Glow & Lovely as global brand director; and spent six years shaping Lifebuoy’s “Purpose agenda” and “Social Mission”, forging public-private partnerships with the United Nations and other platforms.
Now overseeing HUL’s sprawling foods lineup from staples to snacks and everything in between Bedi steps into one of the company’s most dynamic verticals at a time when consumer tastes are evolving fast. His track record blending global scale, brand transformation, and purpose-led marketing makes him a natural fit for steering strategic growth and creative campaigns in the category.
In his LinkedIn post, Bedi underscored his enduring commitment to Unilever’s vision, framing the move as another chapter in a career built on long-term impact rather than quick wins.
For an organisation that thrives on trusted, household names, Bedi’s elevation is less a surprise and more a reminder, the best recipes for growth often come from ingredients that have been simmering for over two decades. Whether it’s rebranding icons or building purpose at scale, he’s now tasked with making sure HUL’s foods business stays as appetising tomorrow as it is today.
