AD Agencies
Digiace lands in India with YMT Ads to decode the $4 bn programmatic puzzle with creative AI
MUMBAI: Mumbai just got another byte louder in the digital ad space. Digiace, the latest entrant in India’s programmatic scene, formally stepped into the ring on 20 June 2025 through a strategic collaboration with southeast Asia’s martech heavyweight, YMT Ads. The plan? To shake up how programmatic campaigns are conceived, delivered and measured—with artificial intelligence holding the brush and data calling the strokes.
The company launches into a market pegged at approximately $4 billion, offering what it calls a ‘creative-first, AI-powered programmatic solution’ aimed at marketers and agencies looking to blend efficiency with innovation. Positioned at the crux of tech and storytelling, Digiace promises to unify what the industry often separates: data and creativity.
“Digiace is transforming digital advertising by unifying creative intelligence and data—two assets traditionally managed in silos. This integrated approach enables us to deliver more efficient media performance, sharper targeting, and measurable business outcomes at scale”, said Digiace India business head Himanshu Nagrecha.
Nagrecha, a veteran with stints at Yahoo, Microsoft Advertising, SVG, and Condé Nast, brings years of digital DNA to the table. His experience in building audience roadmaps and scaling marketing ecosystems makes him a fitting pilot for Digiace’s Indian ambitions.
The firm has set up shop in Mumbai and plans to capitalise on a rising demand for programmatic advertising that offers both scale and specificity. Its AI-led solutions stand on three key pillars:
. AI-led creative optimisation: Creatives that auto-personalise in real-time to suit behavioural and contextual triggers.
. Full-funnel data integration: Insights stitched together from multiple consumer touchpoints to power smarter campaigns.
. End-to-end programmatic execution: Precision media buying across digital platforms, managed centrally.
The alliance with YMT Ads adds global muscle to Digiace’s local ambition, offering Indian marketers access to tools that have already made waves across southeast Asia.
As brands scramble for agility in an ecosystem that doesn’t sit still, Digiace bets on adaptive storytelling layered with intelligence. If done right, it might just turn media buying into media mastery—one real-time impression at a time.
AD Agencies
WPP appoints Hephzibah Pathak CEO of WPP Creative India
Ogilvy India chair takes charge of unified creative model in key market
NEW DELHI: WPP has appointed Hephzibah Pathak as chief executive officer of WPP Creative India, putting a local leader at the helm of its newly created creative operating model in one of its most important growth markets.
The move brings clarity to how WPP’s global restructuring will play out in India, weeks after the group unveiled WPP Creative as part of its Elevate28 strategy. The unit sits alongside WPP Media, WPP Production and WPP Enterprise Solutions, and is designed to simplify what the company previously described as an overly complex structure.
Pathak, who continues as executive chairperson of Ogilvy India, will represent all agencies under the WPP Creative umbrella in India. Her role centres on driving integration across brands, expanding capabilities and ensuring clients can tap into the network’s full talent pool without friction.
WPP said Pathak will work closely with agency brand CEOs to “enhance integration, expand capabilities, and ensure seamless client access”, while maintaining the distinct identities of its agencies.
The portfolio under WPP Creative includes leading networks such as VML, Landor, AKQA and Grey, along with Burson and its affiliated firms. Leaders across these agencies will now report into Pathak, even as each brand continues to operate independently within a unified system.
The appointment also formalises a dual-track strategy in India, preserving agency identities while accelerating collaboration. Pathak is expected to work closely with media leadership to align creative and media capabilities, reflecting growing client demand for integrated, multi-market solutions.
WPP Creative global CEO Jon Cook has described the unit as “not an agency” but an operating system that helps creative, design and PR brands work together more effectively. The group has been clear that it is not merging or phasing out legacy agency brands, instead aiming to reduce complexity on the client side.
Pathak brings nearly three decades of experience within the network, having joined in 1997 and held roles ranging from Mumbai office head to chief client officer. She made history in 2024 as the first woman to lead Ogilvy India in its 95-year presence in the country.
Her expanded mandate positions India at the centre of WPP’s Asia-Pacific strategy, with a focus on strengthening brand presence, deepening client relationships and unlocking growth in a fast-evolving market.
The appointment signals WPP’s intent to move beyond the traditional holding company model towards a more integrated, AI-enabled structure. With Pathak now steering WPP Creative India, the group appears set to test whether simpler structures can indeed deliver sharper creative outcomes.
