Saatchi scales up even as ad industry faces identity crisis

Advertising firms like Ogilvy, McCann, Leo Burnett and FCB have traditionally led in both scale and awards tally

- Gaurav Laghate

Creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi India has quietly doubled in overall scale and revenue size over the past five years, expanding headcount, winning marquee mandates and growing its digital arm nearly tenfold. But even as the agency rides a strong growth wave, chief executive officer (CEO) Paritosh Srivastava admits the broader industry is staring at some fundamental shifts—from broken revenue models and rising client demands to the slow erosion of creativity itself.

The year 2024 has been the best in the agency's history, Srivastava told Mint. "We've won large mandates—Diageo, Skoda, Pampers, FedEx and Leela Hotels—and we now operate with over 400 people across Saatchi & Saatchi, BBH India and digital agency Saatchi Propagate," Srivastava said. The group's digital arm, acquired in 2019, has grown from a ₹4 crore operation to ₹40 crore in projected revenues for FY25.