“I believe in evolution, not revolution. You can’t cut the root”: Rohit Ohri on launching Ohriginal

New Delhi: If the name didn’t already give it away, Rohit Ohri’s newly launched consulting firm, Ohriginal, is as personal as it is professional. “The name obviously comes from my name,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s a reflection of who I am.”

With Ohriginal, Ohri wants to reimagine what culture means for agencies and companies navigating today’s complexities.

Less about image and more about intent, the venture is shaped by Ohri’s decades of leadership experience, where he saw firsthand how deeply culture influences business performance. From revitalising JWT Delhi’s competitive edge to integrating creative agencies at Dentsu, and later modernising FCB without discarding its heritage, Ohriginal reflects lessons drawn from practice—not theory.

“I was very clear about what I didn’t want to do,” he said. “I didn’t want to go back into advertising. I could’ve stayed at FCB, but I left at a good time. And I wanted to do something that allowed me to stay connected to the business in a way that was enjoyable and meaningful.”

That “something” is Ohriginal. Even the company branding has familial roots—his daughter, a designer with her own firm, created the logo and visual identity. “I’m a company of one,” he smiled.

Yet Ohriginal isn’t a vanity venture. Ohri brings to it the same strategic rigour that marked his tenure at three of India’s largest agency networks.

“I’ve been part of three large agencies. And if there’s one consistent insight I’ve had, it’s that culture isn’t a poster on the wall; it’s lived. It’s actions, not adjectives.”

Though he’s working solo, Ohri has built a trusted network of researchers and specialists ready to support him when required. Still, scale isn’t the goal.

From pitch powerhouses to cultural integration

Reflecting on JWT, Ohri recalled, “People said it was too big, too comfortable, not hungry enough. We changed that. We made hunger a cultural value. JWT Delhi became a pitch powerhouse. We won Airtel, Nokia, Walmart, the Congress campaign—you name it.”

At Dentsu, the challenge was different. “It was a shell. Only a few Japanese clients. I had to rebuild everything—bring in people, create belief, and most importantly, instil a possibility mindset.”

The acquisitions of Taproot and WebChutney proved pivotal. “These were the two big ones I led. And they worked. What really made them succeed was cultural harmony. We didn’t try to overwrite their cultures, we created a rhythm.”

His model: Taproot’s Aggie would develop the central creative idea, Dentsu would scale it, and WebChutney would drive the digital layer. “It was about mutual respect. Everyone brought something valuable to the table.”

The integrated approach helped Dentsu win major clients such as Airtel, Pepsi, and Dulux, businesses that would have once seemed out of reach.

At FCB, Ohri walked into an agency some called “fuddy-duddy.” But he saw something worth preserving.

“I don’t believe in revolution—I believe in evolution,” he said. “FCB was a 60-year-old agency. That’s rare in India. You don’t come in and change everything. You respect the root and shape the tree differently.”

His acquisition of digital agency Kinnect was one of his boldest moves, and a historic one for Interpublic. “IPG had never acquired a creative agency in over 75 years. I did that in three years.”

Kinnect is now larger than many traditional agencies within the network. “When I met Rohan Mehta and Chandni Shah, I saw the right cultural fit. They had humility. They wanted to learn, not just show off what they knew.”

So what does Ohriginal actually do?

Ohriginal isn’t a traditional consultancy; it doesn’t offer rapid-fire frameworks or generic playbooks.

“I have a process called ‘Culture Pulse’. Like a doctor, you touch the pulse of the organisation first,” Ohri said. “I conduct one-on-ones with leaders, employees, and even former team members. I look for the heartbeat.”

He emphasised immersion over scale. “Most consultants come with a formulaic view. But culture can’t be churned. It takes time, understanding, and deep engagement.”

“Every organisation is born with a fingerprint. My job is to understand it, articulate it, and create rituals—repeatable leader actions—so that culture survives leadership transitions.”

Ohri will take on no more than three or four clients a year. “This isn’t for optics or money. I want to work with companies where the leadership and I connect—intellectually and emotionally.”

While agencies and established firms are the primary focus, he remains open to startups if the cultural alignment feels right.

“You can’t do ten clients in a month and claim to transform anything. Culture isn’t a PowerPoint; it needs immersion.”

What’s clear is that Ohriginal is more culmination than reinvention. It brings together four decades of insights, operational know-how, and an understanding of how culture, when nurtured thoughtfully, can shape the destiny of a business.