Grey India bolsters creative bench, hires Nikhil Guha and Mahima Kukreja

Grey India has added two senior leaders to its creative bench, naming Nikhil Guha as executive creative director and Mahima Kukreja as group creative director. The appointments come at a time when the WPP-owned agency is recalibrating its role within the global network and aiming to sharpen its creative product in India.

Guha returns to Grey, where he began his career, after a stint at Leo Burnett. Over a 17-year span, he has worked across McCann, Havas, Publicis, Contract and Leo Burnett, winning more than 50 metals at global and regional award shows. His tally includes a Cannes Lion and a Grand Prix for Good at the APAC Effies, signalling both jury recognition and marketplace impact.

“First up, I'm thrilled to return to Grey, because it’s where I started my career,” Guha said. “On top of that, I’m even more excited to work with a chief creative officer like Harsh (Kapadia). With his experience and mentorship, I want to raise the level of the work I do and create famously effective ideas that shine on the global stage.”

Kukreja brings 14 years of experience to Grey, having worked at DDB, .Monks, and Ogilvy—the last for seven years. She has led work for Mondelez, Tata, and Amazon, building a portfolio that spans digital films, social-first campaigns and technology-led storytelling. Increasingly, her focus has been on campaigns that incorporate AI and emerging tools to build personal and emotionally intelligent brand connections.

Her work has won multiple Effies and Kyoorius awards, while driving large-scale online reach. In June 2025, Kukreja was among 19 creatives worldwide chosen for the Cannes Lions ‘See It Be It’ programme, which accelerates female leadership in the industry. She also judged Spikes Asia 2025 in Digital Craft, Social & Influencer, having previously served as a juror at D&AD.

“I’m so excited to work under Harsh’s leadership and create culture-defining work across mediums,” Kukreja said. “Grey has always stood for brave, impactful creativity, and I look forward to pushing ideas that are inclusive, innovative, and truly future-forward.”

For Kapadia, the two hires strengthen the agency’s Delhi leadership. “At Grey, we’re building a culture that thrives on brave, famously effective creativity,” he said. “Nikhil brings a sharp instinct for big ideas that move both people and business, while Mahima represents the new-age creative voice shaping how brands connect in culture. Together, they strengthen our Delhi leadership and add fuel to Grey India’s next chapter of creative excellence.”

The appointments follow a wider structural realignment at WPP. In May 2025, Grey was moved under the leadership of Ogilvy, ending its previous reporting relationship with AKQA Group, in place since 2020.

The change stops short of a merger. Grey continues as an independent agency brand within the network, retaining its leadership team and client relationships. Laura Maness, Grey’s Global CEO, now reports to Devika Bulchandani, global COO of WPP, a position she was elevated to recently after helming Ogilvy as global CEO.

Industry observers see the restructuring as WPP’s attempt to streamline its creative capabilities while giving Ogilvy oversight of Grey’s growth. For Grey India, the hires suggest an emphasis on reinforcing its creative credibility as competition intensifies from both legacy networks and new-age independents.

Grey India’s moves come at a moment when the creative agency landscape in India is under pressure to balance award-winning ideas with demonstrable business outcomes. Its ‘Famously Effective’ positioning that the agency champions is aligned with growing client demands for measurable impact alongside bold creativity.

Guha’s track record in winning metals across Cannes and Effies indicates the agency is betting on leaders who can straddle creative recognition and business effect. Kukreja’s digital-first and AI-driven approach points to Grey’s intent to stay relevant in a market where tech-enabled storytelling and creator-driven culture are reshaping briefs.

While Grey counts clients such as Procter & Gamble, Haleon, The Coca-Cola Company, Axis Bank, Bandhan Mutual Fund and Aditya Birla Group, the competition for retaining and growing mandates remains stiff. The success of its new leadership duo may hinge on their ability to convert creative momentum into both client retention and new business wins.

Globally, Grey positions itself as a network of autonomous agencies within WPP, designed to deliver growth through creativity. The India leadership’s challenge is to translate that philosophy into market traction at a time when client expectations are shifting rapidly.

Whether the arrival of Guha and Kukreja marks the beginning of a stronger creative phase for Grey India will depend on how effectively they channel their award-winning experience into work that delivers results for clients in one of advertising’s most competitive markets.