'India is a self-sustaining growth story': Rana Barua on Havas India’s expansion, AI and the future of agencies

Rana Barua, Group CEO, India, SEA and North Asia at Havas, spoke about the network’s rapid growth in India, the changing economics of agency businesses, AI-led transformation, talent pressures and why India continues to remain one of the most strategic markets globally, in an exclusive interview with Storyboard18’s editor Delshad Irani. Edited excerptsQ: Havas has grown significantly over the last few years despite the challenges facing the industry. What does “winning” look like for Havas today?Winning today is clearly defined in a few ways for us. Of course, we want to win new clients and new business, but we are also very particular about the kind of clients we want. We are no longer chasing volume for the sake of volume.Today, across the group, we have nearly 2,000 unique clients. That gives us a strong opportunity for organic growth within the network itself. The focus is on integration — what we call the power of the village. We are looking at how we can deepen relationships and