VML India has announced the appointment of two senior leaders as it continues to strengthen its national leadership team. Kunal Roy joins the creative agency as managing partner – West and growth lead - India, and Shekhar Khanna steps into the role of chief strategy officer.
Babita Baruah, CEO, VML India welcomed the new leaders stating, “Kunal and Shekhar join us at an exciting moment for VML India as we expand our capabilities and sharpen our focus on growth-led solutions. Their leadership will play a key role in shaping the next chapter of our journey and delivering even greater value for our clients.”
Prior to joining VML, Roy was the CEO of Dentsu Creative in Malaysia, where he led the transformation and integration of six companies into a unified creative powerhouse. Roy brings over two decades of experience in building businesses, brands and agencies across Asia, including a stint at Publicis Groupe Malaysia where he served as group chief strategy officer, leading the organisation to three consecutive Effie Agency of the Year wins.
At VML India, he will lead the Mumbai office and drive growth for the agency in close partnership with CEO Baruah. “VML India is at an exciting point of inflection and I am thrilled to come on board at this time,” said Roy.
As for Khanna, he will establish a formidable strategic planning unit with Shubhrojyoti Roy serving as national planning director and BX lead. “In a world where brands are navigating constant change, strategy has to do more than simplify — it has to connect,” he shared. “The real opportunity is to integrate creativity, media, data and culture into unified thinking system that drives real impact. I’m excited to build that with teams and clients in India.”
Evolving from a research background into strategic leadership roles across Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing and Shanghai, Khanna has navigated diverse agency environments spanning research, digital, creative, activation and media, cementing his conviction in the power of seamless integration.
Last month, Pinaki Bhattacharya, who led strategy and client partnerships at VML India, announced in a LinkedIn post that he was stepping away from the agency after “a fabulous run” of nearly 16 years.
