IPG Mediabrands opens global centre of excellence in Pune

IPG Mediabrands, the media holding company within Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), has announced the opening of its new global centre of excellence office at the International Tech Park, Kharadi, Pune India. In a significant expansion of the media network’s footprint in India, the Pune office will serve as a pivotal hub for media activation, product development, and engineering to over 500 clients globally, spanning multiple industries. 

The new state-of-the-art office spans 62,000 square feet and offers a range of advanced amenities for employees including a rooftop sports area with facilities for basketball, tennis, and a gym, along with a walking track. It also includes a crèche facility for employees' children, a 24-hour canteen service, agile workspaces designed for collaboration, and dedicated company transportation.

“We are thrilled to expand our presence into Pune and create a world-class workplace for our talented team,” said Ankita Agarwal, Executive Head of Global Operations, KINESSO, the tech-driven performance arm of IPG Mediabrands that currently accounts for 90% of the headcount in Pune. “This office will be instrumental in implementing the highest standards of media activation, enhancing operational efficiency, and delivering exceptional value to our clients.”

Jarrod Martin, Global CEO, KINESSO and Acxiom, added; "We have built a network of global capability centres providing essential services, and India is our single biggest hub market, servicing other countries around the world. By centralizing all these capabilities in one location, the Pune GCC will enable us to implement the highest standards media activation across all campaigns and brands, facilitate shared learnings, and enhanced product development. India is a world-leading source of advanced talent, and IPG Mediabrands is committed to tapping into this expertise to elevate our product and service delivery to clients."

Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands India, commented; "The launch of the IPG Mediabrands Pune GCC is a significant milestone in our growth journey, expanding our existing footprint which already includes offices across Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Kochi, and Kolkata. In the last 12 months we have doubled in size, and with continued growth trajectory anticipate India becoming the second-largest IPG Mediabrands market by employee headcount over the next two years. This not only underscores our continued commitment to investing in India, but also highlights our strategic focus on leveraging advanced talent to drive media innovation."

The launch of IPG Mediabrands Pune is effective immediately, and will deliver services across various crafts including biddable, analytics, and media operations, with an emphasis on innovation and execution.