By: Deepti Verma
Power Players of 2025: India’s Top Advertising Agencies Shaping the Future of Brands
India’s advertising market now exceeds ₹1.64 lakh crore in 2025 because of digital media and connected TV growth and quick commerce expansion is growing at 7% each year. This market analysis examines the top ten advertising companies which drive brand storytelling and media strategy in Indian business today:
1. GroupM India (WPP Group)
The media investment company GroupM India controls three media agencies: Mindshare, MediaCom and Wavemaker. Its position as the biggest advertising agency in India remains unchanged because it handles substantial budgets from clients. Through analytics-based strategic planning and data analytics GroupM achieves excellent returns for major brands including Google Nestlé and Coca-Cola. GroupM predicts that India will generate ₹1.64 lakh crore in advertising revenue during 2025 while digital spending will claim 60% of the market.
- DDB Mudra Group (Omnicom Group)
The Indian advertising industry recognized DDB Mudra as one of its earliest established agencies that achieved numerous awards. The company delivers integrated creative and media buying services through its campaigns for Volkswagen, McDonald’s and Amazon India. DDB Mudra operates from its Mumbai headquarters while maintaining a strong foundation of strategic thinking with creative capabilities across different formats.
- Leo Burnett India (Publicis Groupe)
Leo Burnett represents the embodiment of emotional advertising campaigns throughout history. In 2025 the company produced effective storytelling that united both rural and urban consumer audiences through their work for Spotify, HDFC Life and PhonePe.
- McCann Worldgroup India (IPG Mediabrands)
The Interpublic Group (IPG) affiliate McCann India generates praise for its contemporary marketing initiatives which draw from Indian cultural elements. The advertising agencies Coca Cola India and Nestlé maintain regular collaborative work to produce memorable and relatable advertising campaigns.
- FCB India (FCB Worldwide / Publicis Groupe)
The socially conscious narrative-driven campaigns at FCB India created significant impact throughout 2025. The company delivered multiple campaigns in 2025 that focused on education alongside gender equality and urban mobility initiatives for Tata Motors and The Times of India.
- Wunderman Thompson India (formerly JWT, part of WPP)
Wunderman Thompson creates outstanding integrated marketing campaigns that unite storytelling with data analytics to deliver exceptional results in digital spaces and experiential settings. The company provides services to e-commerce and finance and retail companies.
- MullenLowe Lintas Group (IPG / Interpublic Group)
As one of India’s oldest advertising agencies MullenLowe Lintas established the first Indian television commercial and brought planning methods to market operations. Lintas achieved successful regional brand campaigns in 2025 for Unilever and Swiggy while continuing its tradition of culturally driven storytelling.
- Dentsu Creative India (Dentsu International)
Dentsu India functions as the creative leader within Dentsu International by delivering exceptional digital branding solutions and performance marketing services. The company delivers data-driven advertising efforts that achieve substantial impact for their clients Maruti Suzuki, Nivea and Swiggy.
- Schbang
Schbang represents a contemporary creative agency which started recently to establish itself as a preferred choice for startups and fintech companies. The agency specializes in content-first approaches and integrated marketing strategies primarily targeting beauty and D2C sectors as well as emerging brand clients.
- The Glitch (VML Company)
The Glitch gains its reputation from youth-oriented storytelling along with culture-led narratives because it works with brands including Netflix India and Tinder and Instagram. The agency achieved its position as the preferred choice for Gen Z and millennial audiences through its high-energy campaigns and sharp visuals during 2025.
Context & Industry Trends
- India’s advertising market size for 2025 is projected at ₹1.64 lakh crore which equals $20–22 billion and digital and TV channels jointly represent 86% of total spending with digital reaching 60% of that figure.
- GroupM anticipated a ₹1.53 lakh crore growth into ₹1.64 lakh crore during the period from 2024 to 2025 according to their projections. The ad spend projections for 2025 show Dentsu and Madison anticipating ₹1.07 lakh crore and ₹1.20 lakh crore respectively.
Regulatory oversight challenges the advertising industry at present. Major agencies including GroupM and Dentsu and Publicis and IPG Mediabrands faced CCI raids in early 2025 because of price-fixing accusations. Major broadcasting companies alongside these firms now face examination because of their suspected coordinated commission rate manipulations and anti-competitive business conduct.
Agency Snapshot:
| Rank | Agency | Group/Parent | Specialty Highlights |
| 1 | GroupM India | WPP | Media investment, planning, and data-led strategies |
| 2 | DDB Mudra Group | Omnicom | Integrated creative and media for major national brands |
| 3 | Leo Burnett India | Publicis Groupe | Emotion-driven storytelling, OTT, and rural outreach |
| 4 | McCann India | IPG Mediabrands | Insightful brand communications, cultural relevance |
| 5 | FCB India | Publicis Groupe | Social campaigns, content-led narratives for mainstream urban audiences |
| 6 | Wunderman Thompson | WPP | Data-informed digital-first campaigns |
| 7 | MullenLowe Lintas | IPG | Classic Indian campaigns with regional flavour and strategic thinking |
| 8 | Dentsu Creative India | Dentsu International | Performance marketing and creative digital branding |
| 9 | Schbang | Independent (digital-led) | Startups, fintech & beauty brands with integrated strategies |
| 10 | The Glitch | VML (VMLY&R group) | Bold campaigns targeting Gen Z and youth culture |
Why These Agencies Stand Out
- The agencies operate from massive global conglomerates to independent digital companies which provide services to numerous clients across industries while working across different media channels.
- These three agencies: Mudra, McCann, and Lintas showcase traditional creative expertise with their extensive history while handling modern digital projects.
- Such firms combine creative with media, social, performance and strategy services in their single-roof operation.
- Award-winning campaigns have received recognition from multiple sources that highlight media innovation alongside creative storytelling and campaign effectiveness.
- Schbang along with The Glitch demonstrate quick agency adaptations to new content formats which include short-form video and influencer-led content as well as retail media.
Final Word
The Indian advertising industry of 2025 operates through a combination of traditional established players with modern digital native agencies. Every top ten agency within this list provides customized capabilities to match current media trends for brands ranging from worldwide corporations to rising startups.
The advertising industry delivers innovative and heritage-driven campaigns through GroupM’s media dominance and DDB Mudra’s creative edge and Leo Burnett’s emotional resonance and Schbang’s digital agility.
Brand selection for storytelling and strategy and street-level insights in India should begin with this list.
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