Heading into 2026, Omnicom gears up for biggest reset in Indian advertising

As the industry winds down 2025, India’s advertising world is already looking beyond the holidays. Come January, one of the largest mergers in global advertising history will stop being an announcement—and begin revealing its operational consequences. The integration of Omnicom and IPG, each carrying multiple agency brands, is set to compress into something far leaner, more concentrated, and far more disruptive.

For marketers, the first test will arrive quickly. The combined entity will soon be judged not on intent but on execution—how it shows up in early 2026 new-business conversations, who leads pitches, which brands take the front seat, and whether the merged machine feels sharper or slower.

From January 1, a small set of newly announced leaders will begin steering what is expected to be a fast-moving integration. More than a dozen agencies across Omnicom and IPG are likely to be folded into a single operating ecosystem—possibly under one roof at Omnicom’s Kalina office in Mumbai. What remains unclear is how swiftly decisions cascade down to teams, clients and mandates.

“The focus shifts immediately to integration—team structures, accountability lines, delivery models and client servicing,” said industry executives. Creative agencies are expected to be addressed first, with leadership and structure already outlined. Media agencies, however, remain in wait-and-watch mode, with clarity still pending.

While insiders insist Omnicom intends to retain all media agency brands, industry watchers are less convinced. Some IPG agencies may not survive the transition in their current form. “Just as IPG’s creative agency Lintas was folded into TBWA, some IPG-led media agencies could be absorbed into OMD or PHD,” said an industry expert.

As the operational dust begins to rise, the strategic stakes are clear. Globally, the Omnicom–IPG combination will create the world’s largest advertising holding company by revenue. In India, it will emerge as the second-largest agency group after WPP, commanding formidable scale across media, creative, digital, data and specialised services.

That scale will inevitably reshape market dynamics. With ad spends crossing ₹1 lakh crore and growing at pace, buying power and influence are set to concentrate further.

“Post-consolidation, advertising dollars are likely to concentrate among just three major networks—WPP, Omnicom and Publicis—together commanding over 70% of the Indian advertising market,” said Ashish Bhasin, founder of The Bhasin Consulting Group and former CEO Asia Pacific, dentsu.

For competitors, the merger represents both threat and opportunity. With WPP currently leading the market and Publicis widely regarded as the strongest in data integration, the Omnicom–IPG integration is viewed as a direct challenge to the existing balance of power.

“Competitors are ready to move at the first sign of distraction,” industry experts said. “The next few weeks will determine whether this merger tightens Omnicom’s grip—or creates openings others are eager to exploit.”

Also read: Omnicom executives bag top posts in new pecking order

S Subramanyeswar to lead strategy as CSO for Omnicom Advertising India

Prasoon Joshi to lead Omnicom Advertising India as Chairman

Dheeraj Sinha to be CEO, McCann Worldgroup India, in the merged Omnicom-IPG group

Headcount to be most sensitive pressure point

While employees across both networks remain at the centre of immediate uncertainty, the ripple effects extend much further. Headcount, inevitably, is the most sensitive pressure point—and the clearest indicator of how deep the integration will run, leaders of both the agencies admit.  

IPG entered the merger with more than 2,000 employees in India, including around 1,200 in media agencies. Omnicom, by comparison, had a workforce of just over 500. Post-integration, staffing is expected to settle closer to 1,500, insiders say—making redundancies on the IPG side difficult to avoid.

“Since Omnicom is driving the merger, it will inevitably sift IPG talent—keeping the best and cutting the rest. Redundancies are baked into a merger of this scale,” said industry veteran Subhash Kamath, former chairman of ASCI and former CEO of BBH and Publicis India.

“This will happen sooner rather than later,” said a senior industry leader, adding that physical office consolidation would be the clearest signal that the merger has entered its decisive phase.

Globally, the direction is already visible. Omnicom has cut close to 4,000 roles, while IPG eliminated over 3,200 jobs in 2025 and exited 135,000 sq ft of office space—moves widely seen as preparation for the merger’s next stage.

Also Read: Omnicom to cut 4,000+ jobs and dissolve 3 creative brands

Early signs already visible 

Early signs of consolidation are already visible—quietly. Several employees of Rapport, the outdoor advertising agency under the IPG group, had moved out gradually over the past few weeks. Also, the team has been asked to report to Vinkoo Chakravarty, instead of Vivek Lakhwara, insiders told e4m. 

At the same time, WeberShandwick, the IPG-owned PR firm, has been folded into Omnicom without a formal announcement. Emails now carry Omnicom branding.  In large mergers, such infrastructural shifts often precede more visible brand and leadership changes. 

Besides, Backend data systems and servers are being integrated over the last few weeks. We may soon get new email IDs, an IPG executive told e4m. 

Internal churn

Leadership clarity, however, remains uneven—especially within the media agency ecosystem. So far, Kartik Sharma has been appointed CEO of the combined media business, with former IPG Mediabrands chief Amardeep Singh stepping in as COO. Beyond these roles, the wider leadership blueprint—covering Initiative, Interactive Avenues, Lodestar UM, Rapport, OMD, PHD and Hearts & Science—remains undecided, leaving teams in a prolonged state of uncertainty.

Creative integration has moved faster. Six agencies—three each from Omnicom and IPG—have been consolidated under McCann, BBDO and TBWA/Lintas, following the retirement of MullenLowe, FCB and DDB. Senior leaders including Prasoon Joshi, Dheeraj Sinha, Aditya Kanthy, Subbu, Josy Paul and Govind Pandey have been retained, though with reshaped mandates.

Below the top tier, however, the picture is far less settled. Middle and junior staff across creative, media and support functions remain in limbo as overlap reviews gather pace.

Who Gains

Creative, Data, and Performance Specialists

According to sources, highly skilled professionals working in the creative field, data, analytics, commerce, retail media, martech, and AI-led functions are best positioned. After all, digital advertising now commands over 55 percent of total ad spend in the country. 

With Omnicom betting heavily on platform-led growth through Omni—and strengthening it with IPG assets like Acxiom and MAGNA—talent that can translate data into business outcomes will see elevated relevance.

“Executional skills will matter less than intelligence-led decision-making,” said one industry insider.

 
Top performers 

Senior leaders capable of managing large, multi-agency portfolios and complex client ecosystems are likely to emerge stronger. The merged entity will favour people who can execute integration without disrupting client relationships—especially in media, where stability and continuity are paramount, experts share. 

Who loses

Overlapping Middle Management

The most exposed layer is mid-level management across finance, HR, planning, operations, and strategy—functions where duplication is unavoidable. Industry sources suggest rationalisation here is inevitable, even if phased.

Generalist Talent

Professionals without clear specialisation—in creativity, data, commerce, technology, or sectoral expertise—risk marginalisation. The merged entity is expected to favour depth over breadth, especially as margins tighten.

Grey Zone

For a significant portion of employees, the immediate impact will be psychological rather than structural. “Uncertainty fatigue is the real risk,” said a senior HR leader. “People don’t know whether to stay put, look outside, or wait for clarity.” 

“Retention of high performers during this phase will be as critical as cost savings. But it’s worth remembering that the bigger long-term threat to jobs is not this merger—it’s AI”, Kamath warns. 

Wait and watch for advertisers 

Most advertisers are taking a wait-and-watch approach, weighing optimism about scale against concerns over continuity. Their immediate worry is disruption—account leadership changes, reporting-line confusion, and decision delays. “Right now, clients want assurance that their business won’t become collateral damage,” said a senior marketer at a multinational brand.

Media clients, in particular, will monitor overlapping agency positioning, conflict management, and talent retention. 

“Everyone is watching who emerges with real authority. Clients are delaying long-term commitments until stability is visible, which could take a year,” noted an executive.

Brands operating across markets stand to benefit from a larger, more unified operating model, with integrated media, creative, commerce, and data under one roof. For such clients, scale and consistency will outweigh short-term disruption. 

Large advertisers may consolidate mandates, while smaller brands may reassess scale advantages. “Will this merger make my agency smarter—or just bigger?” one CMO asked. Success will hinge on Omnicom moving swiftly from structural integration to operational clarity without losing client trust.