Innocean India and Canvas Worldwide India have secured the integrated brand communication mandate for UPES University, marking the start of a long-term partnership structured around unified strategy, creative and media delivery.
Under the agreement, Innocean India will spearhead creative and strategic communication, while Canvas Worldwide India will oversee integrated media strategy and execution across brand-building and campaign-led initiatives. The remit is designed to bring alignment between creative development and media deployment as UPES navigates an increasingly competitive higher education market.
Operating in a crowded education landscape, UPES is required to address multiple stakeholder groups while maintaining clarity and consistency across platforms. The new partnership aims to streamline messaging and improve cohesion across touchpoints. Both agencies will work closely with the university to align brand positioning with channel strategy, ensuring that communications are integrated rather than executed in silos.
The win strengthens Innocean India’s growth business, which is anchored by a dedicated non-automotive team with its own strategic focus. This division services brands including Hamdard, Sony, KEI Cables and IFFCO Tokio. The UPES mandate reflects the agency’s continued investment in expanding beyond its automotive heritage, working in collaboration with Canvas Worldwide India to deliver integrated and media-led transformation.
The agencies will operate through a unified integrated model that connects strategy, creative development and media execution. The initial phase of the engagement will centre on shaping an integrated campaign approach for 2026, establishing a roadmap that aligns institutional differentiation with measurable communication outcomes.
Bharat Kharbanda, chief business officer, GUS Global Services, said, “As our communication requirements continue to evolve, it was important for us to work with a partner that could bring structure and integration to the process. Innocean India demonstrated a clear understanding of our objectives and how to approach them cohesively, which informed our decision.”
Robinh Sharma, marketing director, UPES University, added, “As we look ahead to 2026, our focus is on clearly articulating what differentiates UPES as a university, from our academic offerings to our strong industry integration and leadership positioning. Innocean India’s integrated approach will support us in sharpening and amplifying this narrative.”
Jae Ho Yoo, managing director and CEO of Innocean India, said, “This mandate aligns with our strategy to expand and strengthen our growth business beyond automotive. With UPES, we will leverage our proven strengths as a unified Marketing OS to deliver sharp target and market insights, while providing fully integrated solutions that translate strategy into measurable impact. We are committed to deploying our full capabilities to ensure that every communication initiative is insight-driven, cohesive, and strategically grounded in the institution’s long-term vision.”
Santosh Kumar, chief operating officer, Innocean India, added, “This partnership is about moving beyond siloed campaign delivery to a truly integrated model. Together with Canvas Worldwide India, we will focus on building a unified planning and execution structure for UPES that ensures sharper media alignment, stronger creative impact, and sustained momentum as we roll out the 2026 roadmap.”
The mandate formalises a structured collaboration between UPES University and the two agencies, centred on integrated planning, coordinated execution and long-term brand development.
