WPP strengthens Indian roots with new Chennai campus

As WPP looks to expand in India’s thriving market, it has launched a new campus in Chennai, marking a significant move in its strategy to foster growth through collaborative and technologically advanced spaces. India, which ranks as WPP's fifth largest market globally, plays a central role in the company's growth objectives.

The Chennai campus is WPP's third in the country, following earlier developments in Mumbai and Gurgaon, with plans to add more campuses in Bangalore and Coimbatore over the coming years. Located in RMZ One Paramount, the new campus spans 62,000 square feet. WPP envisions the space to initially accommodate 330 employees, with capacity set to expand to 650 by mid-2025.

The company stated that the facility has been designed to provide amenities that enhance employee well-being and productivity. These include a marketplace with food and beverage options, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, a wellness terrace featuring a running track and yoga deck, a futsal court, and even a day-care facility. The building’s LEED Platinum certification highlights its green credentials, such as grey water recycling, roof rainwater collection, and on-site energy generation—factors that WPP stated align its broader net-zero goals.

India serves as a critical growth engine for the company, where it not only houses some of its best-performing agency teams but also manages substantial global support functions. In line with this strategic significance, the WPP Enterprise Technology team is the first to move into the new Chennai campus, while additional teams are expected to follow in phases.

CVL Srinivas, WPP’s country manager for India, emphasised that the country’s operational scale and skilled workforce make it an ideal location to anchor WPP’s global support systems. "The scalability of our operations and expertise of our team in India makes it the prime location to power WPP’s global support functions," he said. He added that WPP’s investments in new campuses across India will secure the market's position as a major driver of growth for the company.

Mark Read, CEO of WPP, echoed this sentiment, noting India’s importance within WPP’s global ecosystem, especially as one of its fastest-growing markets. Read highlighted the advantages of investing in India’s diverse talent pool, saying that “India continues to be one of our fastest-growing markets thanks to its technological innovation, creative output, and specialist skillsets." With this new Chennai campus and further campuses in the pipeline, WPP seeks to create environments that nurture creativity, collaboration, and career advancement, supporting both domestic and international clients in their growth ambitions.

CVL Srinivas, WPP’s country manager for India.

This investment comes at a time of mixed financial performance for WPP on the global stage. The company recently lowered its 2024 growth forecast due to a slight drop in like-for-like revenue, excluding pass-through costs, which fell by 0.5% to $3.6 billion in the second quarter.

In the Asia-Pacific region, WPP reported uneven results, with India emerging as a bright spot, achieving a 9.1% revenue increase in the second quarter. By the third quarter, its revenue growth in India had slowed to 2.3%, yet the region continued to drive business gains in media, new client acquisitions, and consumer packaged goods (CPG). Globally, WPP’s revenue increased by 1.4% in Q3, while its like-for-like revenue, adjusted for pass-through costs, grew by 0.5%.

While other key markets like North America, Western Europe, and the UK showed marginal growth, WPP faced challenges in China, where revenues dropped by 21.3% in the same period. However, the company's top ten clients still saw a 7% revenue increase in Q3, with robust performance in the automotive, financial services, travel, and CPG sectors.

Technology, which had previously seen a slump, experienced some recovery, posting a 1.3% growth after a 5.1% decline in the first half of the year. Despite these positive indicators, certain sectors—such as healthcare and retail—continued to struggle, largely due to client attrition from the previous year.

The expansion of WPP’s Indian footprint with this new Chennai campus highlights the company’s focus on bolstering its global operational capabilities while tapping into India’s skilled workforce. By investing in India, WPP is not only strengthening its operational backbone but also positioning itself to capture growth in a high-potential market.

The latest Chennai campus underlines the role that India plays in WPP's plans for regional and global success, driven by its talented workforce and the company’s commitment to sustainable and people-centric work environments. As WPP looks ahead, these investments in India are set to reinforce its market leadership and drive the company's ambition to foster collaborative workspaces for the future.