MAM
Hakuhodo Percept bags Sony India creative biz worth Rs 1 bn
MUMBAI: The consumer electronics and IT giant Sony India has appointed Hakuhodo Percept as the creative agency following a multi-agency pitch. The account size is pegged at Rs 1 billion.
The pitch process that began in November 2011 saw agencies such as JWT, Lowe Lintas, Contract, Dentsu, Law & Kenneth, BBDO and Hakuhodo Percept participating.
The incumbent agency on the account was JWT.
Sony India deputy general manager- marketing communication Ryusuke Fukushima said, “At Sony we don’t simply create products; we create real experiences and emotions. Imagination is at the core of our brand, and with each and every communication of Sony, we aim to inspire and unlock the power of imagination of our audiences. We wanted to revisit our creative mandate and partner with a firm which demonstrates the immersive Sony experience and showcases its DNA compromising of essence, promise and purpose.”
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.
