AD Agencies
82.5 Communications Launches, Promising Ingenious Indian Ideas
MUMBAI: WPP’s Ogilvy group has launched 82.5 Communications, an India-specific creative agency catering to Indian companies, Indian startups and entrepreneurs. 82.5 Communications will be headquartered in Mumbai, and also have offices in New Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata.
Piyush Pandey, Chief Creative Officer Worldwide, Executive Chairman India, Ogilvy, said, "82.5 will meet a key need in the creative services market for an agency that is tailored to help realise the aspirations of emerging Indian companies, entrepreneurs and brands as well as MNCs who want to ‘Indianise’ their brands and forge a connect with Indian audiences." Piyush further added, "Such challenger brands are often very strong in their respective categories or geographies, and invariably seek the same qualities that they themselves exhibited, in their creative agencies: passion, agility, out-of-the box thinking and a deep desire to grow."
Elaborating on this, Sumanto Chattopadhyay, Chairman and CCO, 82.5 Communications said, "The focus will be on finding ingenious, bespoke solutions to client’s problems. India has for long had a culture of finding interesting and effective solutions to everyday problems—we are, as a nation, very creative. It’s this creative mindset that we hope to inculcate in 82.5. The rationale for our name, incidentally, is that 82.5 is the longitude of Indian Standard Time. As an agency focussed on Indian entrepreneurship and Indian ingenuity, we felt this name would be apt."
The accounts of Soho Square, another creative agency belonging to the Ogilvy group in India, will now be managed under 82.5 Communications. V.S. Srikanth, who was the Director and CEO of Bates CHI & Partners India, will be the CEO of the new entity, responsible for steering 82.5 Communications in the intended direction, and for implementing plans to deepen and widen 82.5’s engagement with its existing clients.
Samrat Bedi, President-West, Chandana Agarwal, President-North, Sharmista Dev, Head-Kolkata, Naveen Raman, Head-Bengaluru, Siddhartha Roy, EVP Planning, Anuraag Khandelwal, ECD, Mayur Verma, ECD, Mukund Sharma, ECD and Ranadeep Dasgupta, Group Creative Director, complete the core team of 82.5 Communications.
AD Agencies
Havas Media Network India bags integrated media mandate for Aakash Educational Services Limited
PivotRoots and Arena Media to drive 360° strategy for student outreach
NEW DELHI: Havas Media Network India has secured the integrated media mandate for Aakash Educational Services Limited, following a competitive multi-agency pitch, signalling a fresh push by the education major to sharpen its reach among students nationwide.
The mandate will be jointly handled by PivotRoots and Arena Media, both part of the Havas network. Together, they will roll out a full-spectrum media strategy designed to boost AESL’s visibility across digital and traditional platforms.
At the heart of the partnership lies a simple idea: making the brand not just seen, but sought after. The agencies will blend data, technology and creative storytelling to craft campaigns that resonate with students and parents navigating an increasingly digital-first education landscape.
Aakash Educational Services Limited SVP marketing Kanika Kumar Nijhawan said, “At Aakash, we believe success is built through a structured, long-term and data-driven approach. As we expand across the country, adopting a more integrated approach to media is essential. This partnership marks a significant step towards building stronger connections with our audiences.”
Under the arrangement, PivotRoots will spearhead digital and performance marketing, covering social media, influencer collaborations and data-led optimisation. Meanwhile, Arena Media will focus on traditional channels including print, television, radio, cinema and outdoor advertising, ensuring consistent messaging across touchpoints.
Havas Media Network India chief executive officer Mohit Joshi said, “Delivering for a powerhouse like AESL requires both scale and precision. By combining Arena Media and PivotRoots, we are deploying our Converged.AI platform to create a 360-degree strategy that drives engagement, conversions and long-term growth.”
Echoing the sentiment, PivotRoots founder and chief executive officer Shibu Shivanandan added that the collaboration would focus on building “impactful, full-funnel experiences” powered by deep analytics and performance-led marketing.
With a strong legacy in coaching for medical and engineering entrance exams, AESL is now doubling down on integrated media to stay ahead in a crowded, fast-evolving education market. The partnership with Havas signals a clear intent: to turn visibility into meaningful engagement and, ultimately, student success.
