MUMBAI: Close on the heels of the Aegis and Percept split, Aegis Group plc chief executive Robert Lerwill is drawing up expansion plans for the company in India which include acquisitions.

Carat, a media buying company, will be looking at local acquisitions, preferably with 100 per cent stake. He is also open to joint ventures with local companies"if that is the way forward in India." Aegis bought out Percept's 27 per cent stake in Carat India.

Aegis is also eyeing acquisitions in the digital space, Lerwill says. There is major growth potential in the digital media segment, which he believes is still underserved in India. Only 2-3 per cent of media usage lies in the digital space but this is likely to boom, he points out.

With Percept buying out Aegis' 51 per cent in Posterscope India, Lerwil says the effort will be to first tap the internal clients for out of home business and then spread out. Percept will have to return the Posterscope brand, he adds.