Sumit Bhatia joins 367 Agency as co-founder after Finolex exit

MUMBAI: Sumit Bhatia is swapping the boardroom for the agency floor. The marketing veteran has joined 367 Agency as co-founder, bringing nearly two decades of experience in building brands across sectors ranging from telecom and sportswear to healthcare, cement and building materials.

Bhatia announced the move on LinkedIn, describing it as the beginning of a new chapter after 19 years in corporate marketing.

“Every ending writes the first line of a new beginning,” he wrote, adding that the opportunity to join 367 Agency “didn’t feel like the next role. It felt like the right chapter.”

Before joining the agency, Bhatia spent two-and-a-half years at Finolex Industries Ltd, where he most recently served as vice president, sales and marketing. Prior to that, he was vice president and head of marketing and communications, leading the company’s brand strategy, integrated marketing and communications initiatives.

Earlier in his career, Bhatia held senior marketing roles at Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd., where he led category strategy and brand repositioning, and spent more than eight years at Bausch + Lomb, overseeing product management, digital marketing and trade marketing for the company’s contact lens portfolio.

His career also includes stints at Reebok India Company and Bharti Airtel, giving him experience across consumer-facing industries.

Reflecting on his career, Bhatia said the common thread across every sector has been trust.

“The strongest brands aren’t built by what they say. They’re built by what people believe about them,” he wrote, adding that his work across diverse industries had always focused on “building trust before building preference.”

He also acknowledged the leadership team at 367 Agency, saying long-standing relationships with Vishay Gupta and Aditya Somaiya, along with more recent interactions with Sumeet Sonkusare and Abhishek Pawar, reinforced his decision to join the firm.

Bhatia expressed gratitude to colleagues, mentors and partners throughout his career, while extending special thanks to the team at Finolex Industries for the opportunities and relationships built during his tenure.

An MBA graduate from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune, Bhatia’s move signals 367 Agency’s ambition to strengthen its leadership with an executive who has built brands across multiple industries and managed both strategic marketing and commercial functions.

As he steps into entrepreneurship, Bhatia says the mission remains unchanged: to build brands that people “trust, remember and choose.”