MAM
NIRVIK SINGH PROMOTED TO GLOBAL COO ROLE AT GREY GROUP
Michael Houston, Worldwide CEO of GREY group, today announced the appointment of Nirvik Singh as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Grey Group, a new global position.
A thirty-year veteran of GREY group and having started his career in GREY India, Nirvik Singh has served as Chairman and CEO of Grey Group Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa since 2016, a post he will retain, headquartered in Singapore.
As COO, Singh will lead the development of Grey's borderless integrated marketing model; identify acquisition targets and new capabilities to enhance the agency's best-in-class offering and build its future-facing digital, social, shopper marketing and design practices.
"For three decades, Nirvik has been a prime mover in Grey's growth and development in Asia, and most recently, in the Middle East and Africa," Michael Houston said. "I know he will bring the same single-minded dedication and achievement to his expanded responsibilities. He will work closely with me to broaden our reach and resources for the future."
Singh has played an instrumental role in forging the Grey network's comprehensive offering across the regions. His trademark business acquisitions have strengthened Grey's presence earning him widespread recognition as the key accelerator of strategic growth in multiple countries including: India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Korea, Philippines, Thailand and Nigeria. Together, with a first-class management team, he has built a culture of innovation with an award-winning creative and new business performance.
"I am looking forward to implementing Grey's global strategic plans and working with diverse talents and teams from across the different regions. We have seen success in pulling in our collective resources for our borderless strategy, which encompasses agility and seamless creativity," Nirvik Singh said.
He continued, "There are ample opportunities to leverage the agency's centers of excellence and promote collaboration across all our offices. We are always thinking of how best to serve our clients, and I am excited and motivated to be a part of this journey."
Brands
upGrad acquires Internshala in 90 per cent stock deal to own career funnel
Deal aims to scale Internshala’s revenue from Rs 45 crore to Rs 100 crore
MUMBAI: upGrad has acquired Internshala, the world’s largest internship and early-talent marketplace, in a bid to stitch education, skilling and employment into a single career pipeline.
The transaction, announced on 26 February, is structured as a 90 per cent stock-swap, with the financial terms undisclosed. The deal deepens upGrad’s push to control the full career lifecycle, from learning to hiring, at a time when India’s skilling economy is under pressure to deliver outcomes, not just credentials.
Founded in 2010, Internshala claims more than 34 million registered users and 450,000 employers, with roughly 3 million active applicants each year. Over 40 per cent of its users come from tier 2 and tier 3 cities, and most of the platform’s traffic is organic. The company currently reports an annual revenue base of Rs 45 crore.
Under upGrad’s ownership, Internshala is expected to scale aggressively. The company aims to grow the platform’s revenue to Rs 100 crore and beyond, backed by increased investment in product development, AI-led talent matching and enterprise hiring solutions.
Internshala will continue to operate as an independent brand, led by its founder and CEO Sarvesh Agrawal, while tapping into upGrad’s technology stack, distribution and learning ecosystem.
“Education and employment in India have operated in silos for too long,” said upGrad head of corporate strategy and growth Chirag Samdaria. He said the acquisition strengthens the earliest and most consequential stage of the career journey, where intent is high and outcomes can be shaped.
Agrawal described the deal as a natural convergence of learning and opportunity, adding that the partnership would allow Internshala to skill millions of candidates and supply pre-trained talent to employers at scale.
Investec acted as exclusive financial adviser to Internshala.
The acquisition marks a strategic milestone for upGrad as it seeks to position itself not merely as an education provider, but as an end-to-end workforce development platform aligned with India’s evolving labour market.
