Dentsu bets big on India as a talent, innovation, and growth hub

“India, from a revenue perspective, is one of our top five markets," said Prerna Mehrotra, chief client officer and chief executive, media APAC at Dentsu, adding that it stands alongside China, Australia, Thailand, and Taiwan.

Amanda Morrissey, global president at iProspect and chief growth officer of media at Dentsu emphasised India’s potential as a testing ground for new innovations. “What we're hoping out of India is that we can almost hot house things here, develop propositions here…because of the size and scale of the market, and then scale them either into APAC as a region or globally," she said. 

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Morrissey added that the market is a “digitally strong market" with “amazing talent".

According to Mehrotra, India’s talent pool, along with a “lot of buoyancy" in its growing middle class, has made it an attractive market. “The talent in India is phenomenal. You've got intelligent brains…people who are operationally smart…[and] very client-savvy in the way they carry themselves," she said. 

She noted that India was previously treated as an offshoring hub, but Dentsu is now positioning it as a "centre of excellence", contributing to both regional and global operations.

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Client relationships and competitive edge

Dentsu has focused on adapting its role from that of an agency to a growth partner. “We are trying to rebrand ourselves, or reclassify our role as a growth partner…[clients] talk to us about how you want us to drive your business forward," Mehrotra said. 

This repositioning has helped Dentsu expand its roster in India despite some major client exits, with around 80 new clients added in the past year. This is seen as a part of Dentsu’s effort to address the “pressure on clients", which, as Mehrotra noted, is “growing year on year", with clients seeking more agile and innovative solutions.

Dentsu has chosen to target specific pitches rather than pursue every opportunity. Morrissey explained that Dentsu focuses on “a right to win on very digital-first clients" and prefers a “purposeful and choiceful" approach to client acquisition. "We’re quite purposeful…we won’t pitch for everything," she said, stressing that the company’s approach is focused on delivering targeted client growth.

AI and innovation in DNA

Dentsu has long embraced artificial intelligence (AI) in its operations. “If I think about iProspect…everything we did was automated…AI," Morrissey stated, pointing to the company’s digital-first approach and saying AI is “very much in our DNA". 

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The agency has developed internal tools, such as Dentsu GPT, and is advancing generative AI products for “better insights and at scale around audiences", she said. Dentsu Labs in various countries work on developing technology-driven solutions, with India positioned as a major contributor to this innovation network.

The company’s focus on partnerships is helping it address evolving client needs. Mehrotra highlighted a deliberate approach to expanding and maintaining long-term relationships. "You need to nurture clients that are a part of your system," she explained, pointing to Dentsu’s client business planning process, a framework that guides strategic client engagement and solution-building. This model, she noted, has fueled growth within “longstanding relationships" across major clients like Toyota and Microsoft.

As the media landscape shifts towards AI-driven insights and integrated services, Dentsu’s investments in India aim to balance short-term delivery with a long-term vision, establishing the market as a base for innovation and scalable solutions. With a stronger focus on building solutions for client needs and leveraging India’s talent and market scale, Dentsu aims to solidify its position as a growth partner in the dynamic Indian market and beyond.