Cheil X appoints Souvik Datta as National Creative Director

New Delhi: Cheil X, part of the Cheil South-West Asia (SWA) group, has appointed Souvik Datta as National Creative Director. Datta joins from McCann Worldgroup, where he was leading creative operations for the West and had previously overseen the North region.

At Cheil X, Datta will co-lead the agency’s creative function alongside Amit Nandwani, who continues in his role as National Creative Director. He will report to Vikash Chemjong, Chief Creative Officer of the Cheil SWA Group.

With over two decades of experience across agencies such as McCann, Lowe, TBWA, and Contract, Datta has worked on campaigns for brands including Liril, Tanishq, Fastrack, ICICI Prudential, Maggi, Dettol, Hero MotoCorp, and Asian Paints.

Jitender Dabas, CEO of Cheil X, said, “I’ve worked with Souvik and know just how good he is at steering big brands and businesses. Whether it was Hero, Maggi, Domino’s, Asian Paints, or Reckitt, I have seen the real-world impact his work has had on businesses. He is someone who champions ideas that build brand meaning at scale not just through big TVCs but through ideas that create impact every moment across the consumer journey. I am looking forward to his joining us at this pivotal time for Cheil X.”

Nandwani, who continues in his national creative leadership role, has worked with agencies such as Leo Burnett, Ogilvy, McCann, and DDB Mudra. His portfolio includes work for Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Iodex, Star Sports, Philips, and Amazon. He also has experience directing more than 20 commercials.

“With Souvik and Amit at the helm of our creative function, we’re bringing together two leaders who’ve helped shape iconic campaigns for some of the biggest Indian and global brands. They’ve led large teams, built brands across categories, and bring complementary strengths to the table,” the company said.

In addition to Datta’s appointment, Cheil X has expanded the responsibilities of Rajit Gupta, who currently leads the Mumbai creative division. Gupta will now also oversee the agency’s brand experience and design operations across India, integrating spatial, experiential, and environmental design into the agency’s offerings.

Chemjong commented, “It’s said that great advertising moves people. What’s also true, is that great advertising people, also moves people! And with Jeetu coming in, talent has begun to move steadily towards Cheil X. The first of course being Souvik. And one just has to look at the breadth of his work to understand the creative flair.”

Dabas added, “We’re building an agency designed to solve business problems through creativity. Our focus is on ideas that impact every moment—ideas that move beyond campaigns to show up consistently across platforms, experiences, and touchpoints. With our new creative teams driving different dimensions of our creative ambition, Cheil X is entering its most exciting chapter yet.”