Starcom takes over Flipkart Group’s INR 750-crore media mandate

Publicis Groupe’s Starcom India has secured Flipkart Group’s integrated media mandate, estimated at around Rs 750 crore, following a competitive, multi-agency pitch. The business was previously handled by EssenceMediacom, part of WPP Media, and is among the largest media account movements in India’s advertising market this year.

The mandate spans the entire Flipkart Group portfolio, including fashion platform Myntra, value-commerce arm Shopsy, travel booking service Cleartrip and fintech venture Super.money. Under the new arrangement, Starcom India will manage both traditional and digital media responsibilities, consolidating planning and execution across brands that operate at different points of the consumer funnel.

According to media reports, the account was awarded after a multi-agency evaluation that saw participation from networks including Omnicom Media Group, WPP Media and Madison World. The decision reflects a broader advertiser trend towards consolidation, as large digital-first businesses look to streamline media operations while maintaining scale across categories and platforms.

Starcom India’s remit includes developing a unified, full-funnel media strategy aimed at driving reach, relevance and effectiveness across consumer touchpoints. The brief spans mass media as well as performance-led channels, requiring coordination across brand-building, commerce and transaction-focused objectives within the Flipkart Group ecosystem.

The agency is expected to deploy its integrated planning approach through Publicis Groupe’s AI-led Growth OS platform and its Connected Media framework. The stated focus will be on using data, technology and content in combination to support planning and execution, with an emphasis on measurable outcomes rather than siloed media metrics.

For Flipkart Group, the move comes at a time when its businesses operate in increasingly competitive segments, from fashion and value-led commerce to travel and fintech. Managing media investments across such varied verticals under a single strategic framework places a premium on audience understanding and cultural context, particularly in a market where platform usage and price sensitivity vary sharply by region and cohort.