I love the ambition in India, says Mark Read of WPP

Rating India among the Top 5 global markets for WPP at a media interaction in Mumbai, Mark Read, CEO of WPP said, “India is very important for WPP, as one of our fastest growing countries and a top-tier global market. I love the ambition in India, which has moved from being among our Top 10 markets to being in the Top 5.”

“Creativity powered by technology is critical to meeting client needs and the demands of a dynamic marketplace. Our investment in our campuses supports WPP’s new sense of purpose and enables us to instill a culture of creativity, collaboration and openness, while attracting and retaining the best people,” Read said about the WPP BAY99 Campus and the upcoming one in Gurugram.

WPP is celebrating its BAY99 Campus inauguration in Mumbai this week, attended by Mark Read and WPP’s entire global executive committee. The global leaders are in Mumbai for a week-long visit to engage with key clients, partners and local WPP teams and to experience India’s vibrant technology and commerce landscape.

The campus in Gurugram is due to launch at year-end; both campuses will house innovation hubs, partnering with established technology enterprises and start-ups. These hubs will drive the adoption of new and emerging technologies and co-create innovative solutions for brands. This will be coupled with capability centres with specialised offerings in martech, content, production, commerce, data and analytics. To build a culture of innovation, the hubs will also host learning and development workshops, hackathons and demo days.

CVL Srinivas, WPP’s Country Manager for India, said: “There is a real internal evolution that’s ongoing at WPP in India in the way that our teams work. Our teams are now better integrated and working in close alignment to our clients. We are reinventing ourselves to respond to structural changes in our market and to capture the new opportunities for growth. Beyond that, we are also excited about the work that we are doing in sustainability and social purpose.”

On the agenda for WPP leaders is also the opportunity to see first-hand the education initiatives led by WPP Foundation and ISDI WPP School of Communication. Playing an active part in WPP’s purpose story to drive change, the Foundation works with children from lesser served communities in India. Through livelihood interventions, the Foundation aims to provide opportunities for them to become equal contributors in India’s growth story.