MAM
Publicis Groupe India appoints Hari Krishnan as managing director & head of content
Mumbai: Publicis Groupe India on Thursday announced that it has further strengthened its fast-growing content practice with the appointment of Hari Krishnan as managing director and head of Publicis Content.
Publicis Content is a strategic ‘horizontal’ practice which can be tapped into by any Publicis Groupe agency brand to deliver custom-created, multi-channel content solutions for brands. Its solutions span across content insight & strategy, social & influencer marketing, media content partnerships, publishing, and innovation in the metaverse and web 3.0.
Krishnan’s role involves bringing data-driven insight, platform content strategy, creative excellence, and seamless delivery to the rapidly expanding field of branded content. He will lead the Groupe’s expert teams of dedicated content specialists, as well as shape further the Groupe’s creative products, particularly around advice to brands about how to participate in culture.
He is a seasoned leader with a breadth of experience across creative, media, and integrated agencies, as well as most recently at his own strategic innovation consultancy, CultureDrum, where he collaborated on content innovation territories such as AR and gaming with India’s leading media agencies; co-created ‘Virtual Bharat,’ a culture-content channel; and worked with several start-up businesses on brand strategy and storytelling.
Prior to CultureDrum, Hari was managing director Zenith India; chief operating officer Cheil Worldwide; country head global team blue at WPP and executive director JWT. He has led large global brands such as PepsiCo, Samsung, Ford, and Nestlé.
Speaking on the appointment of Hari Krishnan, Publicis Groupe South Asia CEO Anupriya Acharya said, “Given that more and more brands are looking for newer, continuous storytelling formats, Publicis Groupe’s Content Practice is witnessing exceptional demand from advertisers for unique solutions at the intersection of media, data, and creativity. Hari, with his proven track-record and passion for content, is a perfect fit for the role, and I am sure that he will advance our content offering still further, through platform-fit ideation, data-led intelligence, strong IP leverage and innovation partnerships.”
Publicis Content Global chief content officer Mark Waugh said, “Hari’s a proven innovator with a unique blend of agency and independent start-up experience. As Publicis Groupe clients survey the new content battlefields of agile social content, immersive AR, gaming influencer marketing and the emerging metaverse, his leadership and technical expertise will show them where and how to win in their category.”
Hari Krishnan said, “This is an incredible opportunity, and I am excited to be joining Publicis Groupe India at a time of such great momentum, expansion, and growth. I look forward to bringing in best-of-breed content solutions and platform-native creativity for the Groupe’s outstanding roster of clients. The power of one model, encompassing capabilities like data, media, tech, and production, offers so much more potential for innovative, agile, and scaled content that elevates brands and helps them lead in a challenging, dynamic environment.”
Krishnan replaces Ravpreet Ganesh, who is now moving on from the Groupe. “Ravpreet’s contribution is invaluable. She’s played multiple roles within the Groupe over the years and has been integral to our growth and success. We thank her and wish her all the very best in future endeavours.” said Acharya.
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
