MAM
L&K Saatchi & Saatchi gets Atin Wahal to head North & East regions
Mumbai: L&K Saatchi & Saatchi India has strengthened its leadership team and has announced the appointment of Atin Wahal as Executive Vice President – North & East. He will report to Paritosh Srivastava, MD of L&K Saatchi & Saatchi.
Wahal takes over the role from Devraj Basu who has moved on from the agency.
Atin’s arrival is a homecoming of sorts as he was part of Publicis Ambience as Sr. VP until two years ago. He has worked on a host of businesses like Skoda, Zee, Citibank, Times Network, Sony Liv amongst others in his earlier stint.
Wahal joins L&K Saatchi & Saatchi from BBDO India where he was EVP and Head of Mumbai office and worked for brands such as Visa, Idea, Whatsapp, Bumble, HP, Ariel and many more. Apart from these two agencies, Atin has also had a promising stint with Sony Entertainment and other agencies viz
Welcoming Wahal to the agency, Paritosh Srivastava commented: “I’ve known Atin for some time now and happy to have him on the leadership team at L&K Saatchi & Saatchi. Delhi and Kolkata are very important offices for us with an amazing set of clients that we are very proud to partner. It wasn’t an easy search but we think Atin with his vast experience, professionalism, way with people, energy, resourcefulness and familiarity with the Groupe agenda will make him succeed.
Would also like to thank Devraj for doing a fantastic job for a very long time for the agency. We will always be grateful for his contribution and wish him the very best for the future.”
On joining the agency and also the challenges that lay ahead for him, Atin Wahal said: “Publicis Groupe has been at the forefront of offering integrated services and it’s this new age thinking that has pulled me back to the Groupe again.
I am thrilled to be a part of the new and energised L&K Saatchi & Saatchi with Paritosh at the helm. I am certain that we will be writing some success stories soon, riding on ‘Power Of One’ for our clients.
I do believe that in the today’s context and environment it’s not about the challenges that we will face but the opportunities that we will create for our clients and brands.”
Wahal has nearly 18 years of Advertising & Media experience, after completing his post-graduation from Symbiosis he has since explored the magical world of brand storytelling. He has worked on numerous brands across categories and regions including Automobiles, FMCG, Consumer Durables, Broadcast, Telecom, OTT, Pharmaceuticals, BFSI, eCommerce etc.
He has played an influential role and has been associated with some successful campaigns such as Ariel- #SonsSharetheLoad, Skoda- ‘Power Should be beautiful’, KBC- ‘Gyan hi Aapko Apka Haq Dilata Hain’, Zee TV- AAj Likhenge Kal, along with the brand launches of Asian Paints- Royale Play, Indian Idol Juniors, Sony Liv, Skoda Kodiaq and very recently Bumble.
Digital
India leads global adoption of ChatGPT Images 2.0 in first week
From anime avatars to fantasy covers, users turn AI visuals into culture
NEW DELHI: India has emerged as the largest user base for ChatGPT Images 2.0, just a week after its launch by OpenAI, underlining the country’s growing influence on global internet trends.
While the tool was introduced as an advanced image-generation upgrade within ChatGPT, Indian users are quickly reshaping its purpose. Instead of sticking to productivity-led use cases, many are embracing it as a creative playground for self-expression, storytelling and online identity.
From anime-style portraits and cinematic headshots to tarot-inspired visuals and fictional newspaper front pages, the model is being used to create highly stylised, shareable content. Features such as accurate text rendering, multilingual prompts and the ability to generate detailed visuals with minimal input have helped drive rapid adoption.
What sets the latest model apart is its ability to “think” through prompts, generating multiple outputs and adapting to context, including real-time web inputs. But the bigger story lies in how users are engaging with it.
In India, trends are already taking shape. Popular formats include dramatic studio-style lighting edits, LinkedIn-ready headshots, manga-inspired avatars, soft pastel “spring” aesthetics, AI-led fashion moodboards, paparazzi-style visuals and fantasy newspaper covers. Users are also restoring old photographs, creating tarot-style imagery and experimenting with futuristic design concepts.
Local flavour is adding another layer. Prompts such as cinematic portrait collages and Y2K-inspired romantic edits are gaining traction, blending global aesthetics with distinctly Indian internet culture.
The surge reflects a broader shift in how AI tools are being used in the country, moving beyond utility to creativity. As younger users, creators and social media enthusiasts experiment with new visual formats, AI-generated imagery is increasingly becoming part of everyday digital expression.
If early trends hold, ChatGPT Images 2.0 may not just be a tech upgrade but a cultural moment, giving millions a new visual language to play with online.
