Havas Media Group India, the media experience agency of Havas Group India, has appointed Balachandran V as Executive Vice President – Buying North. Based out of Gurgaon, Balachandran will be responsible for media investments of all North clients. He will be reporting to R. Venkatasubramanian, President – Investments and Head – Havas Sports, Havas Media Group India.
After reporting a successful growth in RECMA’s Overall Activity Volume India media agency rankings 2021 report and leading the charts as the second fastest growing agency by network groups with 54% growth rate, Havas Media Group India continues to aggressively invest in its product offering as well as people resources.
Balachandran’s appointment comes at this critical juncture and will further strengthen the agency’s media investments and buying team.
Commenting on the appointment, R. Venkatasubramanian, President – Investments & Head – Havas Sports, Havas Media Group India, said “Bala is a seasoned media professional, and this is his second innings with Havas, having previously worked for the agency (then Euro RSCG) in 1997 as the Media & Administration lead for the Chennai market and later on led the investment portfolio for the Reckitt Benckiser Business in Delhi. We are delighted to have him back, this time to lead HMG India’s North Investment operations, one of our largest business units. I am confident Bala will drive the team forward and further strengthen our investments function by hiring talented professionals with domain expertise. We wish Bala a happy homecoming!”
Balachandran V said, “I am excited to join back Havas and lead the media investments function for one of its biggest markets i.e., North. Havas Media Group India has been growing at a phenomenal rate over the years, and I look forward to working with the legacy and new-age brands, collaborating with media partners, and delivering the best ROI for clients by adding value.”
With over 25 years of experience in media across different verticals like trading, buying strategy, client servicing, Balachandran has managed clients across categories viz. retail, FMCG, automobile, lifestyle, government etc. Prior to joining Havas Media Group India, he has worked with agencies like Dentsu and GroupM. Some of leading brands he has worked with include Reckitt Benckiser, GSK, INC, Mother Dairy, Maruti Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha, Wakefit, Bata and more.
