IPG Mediabrands expands Indian presence with new capability centre in Pune

IPG Mediabrands, the media holding company within Interpublic Group, has announced the launch of its new GCC at the International Tech Park in Kharadi, Pune, India. The expansion marks a milestone in the company’s strategic growth in India, aiming to enhance media activation, product development, and engineering for over 500 clients worldwide.

The new centre is operational immediately and will provide services across various areas, including biddable, analytics, and media operations, with a strong focus on innovation and execution. The 62,000-square-foot facility is said to be equipped with state-of-the-art amenities designed to support employees, including a rooftop sports area featuring basketball and tennis courts, a gym, and a walking track. Additional features include a crèche facility for employees' children, a 24-hour canteen service, agile workspaces to foster collaboration, and dedicated company transportation.

Ankita Agarwal, executive head of global operations at Kinesso, the tech-driven performance arm of IPG Mediabrands that constitutes 90% of the Pune workforce, expressed enthusiasm for the new development. "We are thrilled to expand our presence into Pune and create a world-class workplace for our talented team,” she stated. “This office will be instrumental in implementing the highest standards of media activation, enhancing operational efficiency, and delivering exceptional value to our clients.”

Kinesso is known for its advanced data-driven marketing solutions, leveraging technology to enhance audience engagement and optimise media strategies. As part of IPG Mediabrands, Kinesso's focus is to play a role in integrating data insights with media planning and execution, helping clients achieve better business outcomes.

Jarrod Martin, recently appointed as the global CEO of Kinesso and Acxiom, highlighted the strategic importance of the Pune centre. “We have built a network of global capability centres providing essential services, and India is our single biggest hub market, servicing other countries around the world. By centralising all these capabilities in one location, the Pune GCC will enable us to implement the highest standards of media activation across all campaigns and brands, facilitate shared learnings, and enhance product development. India is a world-leading source of advanced talent, and IPG Mediabrands is committed to tapping into this expertise to elevate our product and service delivery to clients."

Global Kinesso and Acxiom CEO, Jarrod Martin

Shashi Sinha, CEO of IPG Mediabrands India added, "The launch of the IPG Mediabrands Pune GCC is a significant milestone in our growth journey, expanding our existing footprint which already includes offices across Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Kochi, and Kolkata. In the last 12 months, we have doubled in size, and with continued growth trajectory, we anticipate India becoming the second-largest IPG Mediabrands market by employee headcount over the next two years."