MAM
Dentsu Aegis ‘Happy’ about mcgarrybowen’s India entry
MUMBAI: Dentsu Aegis has added another feather in its acquisition cap. Dentsu Aegis Network has signed a definitive agreement to acquire creative marketing agency, Happy Creative Services in India. It will join the global mcgarrybowen network of agencies and be rebranded as Happymcgarrybowen. The deal is expected to close in the next few weeks.
The acquisition will strengthen Dentsu Aegis’ creative offering in the market, marks the first mcgarrybowen agency in India and expands its footprint in Asia – with other offices in Singapore, Hong Kong and China.
Established in 2007, Happy is an award-winning boutique creative marketing agency located in India. Regarded as one of the most promising independent creative outfits in India, Happy boasts a staff of 100 across three disciplines – Brand Design, Integrated Brand Communication and Digital, building and rejuvenating brands through media agnostic ideas, customised to deliver on key business and brand metrics.
Joining the Dentsu Aegis leadership team in India is Happy’s co-founder and CEO Kartik Iyer, and co-founder and MD Praveen Das, who will both report to Ashish Bhasin, Chairman and CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia.
Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia Ashish Bhasin, chairman and CEO of said: “Happy has carved out a very strong digital and creative reputation in the Indian market. Founders Kartik Iyer and Praveen Das – who are among Fortune India’s 40 Under 40, are prominent and well-respected figures in the industry, and this acquisition will add creative bench strength to the wider team. This will enable us to launch mcgarrybowen in India and we will be another step closer to our mission of being the second largest agency group by the end of 2017 in India, overturning for the first time the existing ranking which has historically been in place for over 80 years in the market.”
mcgarrybowen founder and global chairman Gordon Bowen, said: “India is an important creative market that boasts world-class talent and an enviable group of multi-national clients, both of which represent untapped potential for mcgarrybowen. We knew that successfully expanding in this very competitive market required finding great partners that share our passions and values. With a respected reputation and well awarded creative offering, Happy is just that kind of partner and I am proud to welcome them into the mcgarrybowen family.”
“Like us, Kartik and Praveen believe in the power of big organising ideas, collaboration and strong client partnerships. Together I am confident we will fuel even greater creative and business success for clients here in India and around the world,” he added.
Iyer and Das said: “It has taken us a good nine years to come this far in terms of talent, business and reputation. There comes a time in every business to take a big leap to propel it to the next level and being a part of Dentsu Aegis and mcgarrybowen supports this growth ambition and provides us with the right platform. We are presently working with a number of marquee clients that require the support of a global network and we have always been clear that Happyshould to equip itself to compete with the biggest players on the largest stage. In mcgarrybowen we found a true match in philosophy and belief and being a part of their vision makes us truly proud.”
Most recently, Happy bagged the ‘Agency of the Year’ title at the 2016 edition of Maddys, organised by The Advertising Club Madras. Happy’s work on the ‘Ola Boat’, which was an emergency boat service set up by Ola cabs, to help stranded people in the city of Chennai during the Nov 2015 floods, has also won numerous national and international awards for the effort.
MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
