Publicis Media leads agency groups in H1 new-business value at $218 mn

WPP Media followed at +$198M and Omnicom Media Group at +$18M

by e4m Staff
Published: Sep 21, 2026 4:08 PM | 2 min read

Publicis Media led India's agency groups in net new-business value for H1 2026, achieving +$218 million, followed by WPP Media at +$198 million and Omnicom Media Group at +$18 million, as reported by COMvergence's New Business Barometer.
Zenith and Starcom, two agencies under Publicis Media, contributed significantly with net new-business values of +$126 million and +$71 million, respectively, totaling +$197 million.
Notable account movements included Starcom winning Flipkart Group's integrated media mandate, valued at ₹700-750 crore, and Zenith securing L’Oréal India's integrated media mandate, estimated between ₹900 crore and ₹1,200 crore.
The assessment noted a total of 62 account moves and retentions in India during the first half of 2026, representing an estimated $838 million in media spend, with significant participation from brands like Reckitt, Wipro, and Netflix.

Publicis Media led India's agency groups in net new-business value in the first half of 2026, recording +$218 million, according to COMvergence's New Business Barometer for India.

WPP Media followed at +$198 million, while Omnicom Media Group recorded +$18 million. The assessment covers January to June 2026 and includes account retentions.

Publicis Media's group-level performance was supported by two agencies that featured prominently in the individual rankings. Zenith recorded a net new-business value of +$126 million, while Starcom posted +$71 million. Together, the two accounted for +$197 million at the agency level.

The period saw both agencies involved in significant account movements. Starcom took over Flipkart Group's integrated media mandate following a competitive review, with the business estimated at ₹700-750 crore.

Zenith, meanwhile, secured L’Oréal India's integrated media mandate during the first half, taking over from Wavemaker after a multi-agency review. Industry estimates have placed the value of the mandate at around ₹900 crore to ₹1,200 crore.

Publicis Media's result comes amid a broader period of significant account movement in India. COMvergence assessed 62 account moves and retentions during H1, representing an estimated $838 million in media spend. Of these, 46 were local pitches worth $719 million, and 16 were global or multi-market pitches worth $119 million in new-business value.

The wider account movement included businesses such as Reckitt, L’Oréal, Wipro, AMFI, Netflix, JSW Motors, Flipkart, Jaguar Land Rover, Abbott Nutrition, Hewlett Packard, Red Bull and Skechers.

At the individual-agency level, Wavemaker remained the top-ranked agency at +$147 million, followed by Zenith, Starcom, Initiative and Motivator. At the group level, however, Publicis Media finished H1 ahead of WPP Media and Omnicom Media Group.