Mumbai: Madison Media has announced a series of key leadership appointments as part of its continued transformation under the Madison 3.0 vision — strengthening capabilities across content, influencer marketing, digital, south operations, and sports marketing.
Mayank Bhatnagar Joins as Chief Client Officer
Mayank Bhatnagar joins Madison Media as Chief Client Officer, where he will lead the agency’s South operations and drive strategic growth for the business and its clients in the region. Bhatnagar returns to Madison with over 25 years of experience across India, Malaysia, and Singapore, having held senior leadership positions at leading global agency networks including OMD Malaysia, Carat India, and Mindshare. His expertise spans business growth, profitability, and managing large-scale client relationships across categories including FMCG, telecom, automotive, QSR, IT, banking, retail, media, and education. He has worked with marquee global brands such as Apple, McDonald’s, Nestlé, P&G, Mondelez, Intel, Tata Group, and Standard Chartered Bank.
Karan Rao Appointed VP, Content & Influencer Marketing
Madison Media has also appointed Karan Rao as Vice President, Content & Influencer Marketing, where he will lead Madison Loop and spearhead its evolution into Loop 2.0 — a next-generation content and influencer marketing business powered by the combined strengths of human creativity and AI-led capabilities. Based out of Madison Media’s Mumbai office, Karan will report to Vivek Das, Chief Digital Officer, Madison Media.
Karan brings over 15 years of experience across content, brand storytelling, and digital marketing. Prior to joining Madison Media, he was Co-founder at LeapX, an AI-powered marketing and content platform. Earlier, he led StudioX for The Coca-Cola Company across India and South-West Asia, building integrated content ecosystems across markets. His work has been recognised at prestigious platforms including Cannes Lions, Global SABRE Awards, and EMVIES Awards.
Dinesh Rathod Takes on Sports Vertical Leadership
In another strategic move, Dinesh Rathod — who successfully led Madison Media’s south business for over a decade — will now take on a larger role focused on building and scaling Madison Media’s Sports vertical. In his new mandate, Dinesh will focus on strengthening capabilities across cricket, emerging sports, live events, and partnerships, while creating differentiated value propositions for clients across Madison Media.
Ajit Varghese, Partner & Group CEO, Madison Media, said, “This is a very intentional step in how we are shaping Madison for the future. Clients today expect ideas that move seamlessly across content, platforms, creators and commerce. With these leaders, we are bringing together experience and new-age thinking to make that possible at scale.”
Mayank Bhatnagar, Chief Client Officer, Madison Media Omega, said, “The industry is shifting from capability-led growth to outcome-led partnerships. In leading the south business, my focus will be on deepening client relationships, building strong teams and ensuring we deliver measurable impact. I’m excited by the opportunity to shape this next phase of growth.”
Karan Rao, Vice President, Content & Influencer Marketing, Madison Media, said, “Content moves at the speed of culture, and the creator economy has completely reshaped how brands show up in people’s lives. What excited me about Madison is the ambition behind Loop 2.0. I’m looking forward to building something meaningful and creating work that audiences genuinely connect with.”
Dinesh Rathod, CEO, Madison Media Omega, said, “Sports today presents one of the most powerful opportunities for brands to build passion-led consumer engagement. I’m excited to lead Madison Media’s Sports vertical and build innovative partnerships, capabilities and experiences that create value for clients across both established and emerging sporting ecosystems.”
Madison Media, India’s largest homegrown communication agency, has been ranked the World’s 3rd Largest Independent Media Agency by RECMA and has won over 300 awards in the past two years. The agency handles media planning and buying for blue-chip clients including Asian Paints, Titan, TVS, Pidilite, Jyothy Labs, Ceat, Blue Star, Cipla Health, Samsonite, Raymond, Axis Max Life Insurance, Joy Cosmetics, Parag Milk Foods, Polycab, and several others.
