MAM
Xperio Labs appoints Ericsson’s Vineet Somakumar as VP & GM
MUMBAI: Xperio Labs announced that Vineet Somakumar has joined the company as VP & GM, Somakumar would be primarily responsible for the P&L of the sales organization with sharp focus on South Asia and other emerging markets.
Earlier Somakumar worked as the head of media sales and TV¬media Practice (Ericsson) in India. He took Ericsson to a leadership position in the cable sector besides maintaining its leadership position in the broadcast/DTH space. Besides South Asia, Somakumar also managed the sub Saharan Africa business for Ericsson for a brief period.
Prior to joining Tandberg/Ericsson, he also worked for global brands namely Cisco/Scientific Atlanta, Siemens & Alcatel both in the Service Provider & Enterprise space.
On his appointment Somakumar said, “The consumer IoT space is soon getting at an inflection point and Xperio labs is well positioned to lead this space in emerging market. I am excited to start a new chapter with Xperio. Having worked with most of the founding team members in Scientific Atlanta/Cisco, it’s a kind of home coming for me”.
Commenting upon Somakumar’s appointment Xperio Labs president Roshan D’Souza said, “Vineet brings along with him wealth of experience, industry knowledge and strong CXO relationships in the Service Provider space. I’m confident Vineet will play a key role in providing and implementing high quality solutions for our clients enabling them to offer their subscribers the best of Consumer IoT”
AD Agencies
WPP and Ogilvy top the global charts as India joins the creative elite: Warc rankings
A record five-year streak for Ogilvy while India secures a top five global spot
MUMBAI: The global advertising world has a familiar king, but a new powerhouse is gatecrashing the palace. In the latest Warc Creative 100 rankings, the industry’s definitive audit of excellence, WPP has once again been crowned the top holding company. Not to be outdone, its crown jewel, Ogilvy, has secured the top network spot for a staggering fifth consecutive year.
It is a “five-peat” that proves Ogilvy’s creative engine is not just running but purring. While many networks rely on one or two superstar offices to carry the load, Ogilvy’s dominance is a team effort across the globe. Hot on their heels is sister agency VML, which took the silver medal for networks, ensuring a WPP clean sweep at the very top of the podium.
The biggest noise, however, is coming from the East. India has officially vaulted into the top five most creative nations on Earth. Once viewed primarily as a back-office for production, the country is now a front-row leader in imagination. Driven by the brilliance of agencies like Ogilvy Mumbai and Leo Burnett India, the nation is proving that its work does more than just look good on a trophy shelf. In a market where every rupee must work twice as hard, Indian campaigns are blending high-concept artistry with ruthless commercial effectiveness.
The individual accolades saw Heineken toast to success as the top brand, finally knocking Apple off its perch. Unilever remains the world’s most awarded advertiser, proving that big business can still have a big heart through its work for Dove and Vaseline.
The title of the world’s most creative campaign went to Publicis Conseil Paris for their AXA “Three Words” initiative. By subtly adding “and domestic violence” to insurance policies to provide immediate relocation cover, the agency proved that the best advertising doesn’t just sell a service, it provides one.
The 2026 rankings also signal a shift in the industry’s DNA. The era of boring business-to-business marketing is dead, with B2B campaigns cracking the top ten for the first time. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence has moved past the gimmick stage. The winners this year used tech not for the sake of a trend, but to drive genuine human emotion.
Whether it is Paris providing a safety net for the vulnerable or India redefining the global creative order, the message from this year’s Warc rankings is clear. The best work in the world is no longer just about catching the eye, it is about changing the world.
