Continuing its long string of acquisitions, Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) has bought India's Perfect Relations group, reports Campaign Asia.
The firm will become a member of Dentsu Aegis Network India and retain its own branding, informed a DAN statement.
Dilip Cherian, group managing director, and Pradeep (Bobby) Kewalramani, CEO, join the Dentsu leadership team and will report to Ashish Bhasin, chairman and CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia.
Perfect Relations group, through five companies, has 19 offices in India, and handles clients such as Coca-Cola, Nokia, Airtel and Honda.
The group comprises Perfect Relations, Accord Public Relations, Image Public Relations, Imprimis Life PR, India Media Monitor and Buzz.
Publicis Groupe's MSL was in talks to acquire Perfect Relations, but the deal did not materialise and was 'put on hold', Kewalramani was quoted as saying in November 2014.
“The PR segment in India is forecast to grow at double digits annually, and having a scaled business that is well integrated to our company enables us to build on our overall strength and reputation in the market," said Nick Waters, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific.
For DAN in India, this marks a serious foray into the public relations space.
(This article first appeared on CampaignAsia.com. With inputs from Campaign India.)
