What WPP achieved in India under CVL Srinivas as he retires in March

New Delhi: WPP’s India business rose to become one of the group’s top four revenue markets globally under Country Manager for India CVL Srinivas (Srini), even as the company on Tuesday announced that he will retire at the end of March 2026, ending a 36-year career.

WPP said India moved from outside its top 12 markets to the top four by revenue during Srinivas’ leadership since 2017, calling it a marker of sustained and strategic growth in the country.

“Srini is a truly outstanding leader whose vision has been instrumental in transforming India into one of WPP’s most important and dynamic markets globally. He has not only delivered exceptional growth but has also built an incredible culture of collaboration and innovation. From establishing our integrated campuses to scaling our global delivery and tech capabilities, his legacy is a stronger, more unified, and future-ready WPP in India, perfectly positioned to harness our AI advantage for our clients. We are deeply grateful for his immense contributions, and we all wish him the absolute best for the future,” Cindy Rose, CEO of WPP, said.

WPP said Srinivas’ 20-year tenure at the company was marked by growth, operational integration and a focus on building a collaborative culture. It said he integrated WPP’s agency and specialist offerings in India and positioned the market as a global hub for next-generation services and talent.

“Leading WPP in India has been the privilege of a lifetime. I am incredibly proud of what our 11,000-strong team has built together, a market defined by growth, innovation, and most importantly, a shared purpose. Our foundation is strong, and the potential for India to drive WPP’s global agenda is boundless. I will be cheering from the sidelines as I look forward to my next chapter,” CVL Srinivas said.

WPP said its India operations now encompass over 11,000 people across agencies, a scaled Global Delivery Centre (GDC) and critical global support functions. The company said India is delivering solutions to clients across the world, backed by specialist talent building creative-tech platforms.

The company credited Srinivas with building integrated client teams that it said consistently rank among the best-rated by WPP’s global clients, aimed at delivering full-service capabilities across offerings.

WPP also pointed to the establishment of three collaborative campuses in Mumbai, Gurgaon and Chennai, and efforts to build cross-agency communities including WPP Stream, Creative Tech, WPP Stella Network, Unite and the People Forum.

It said initiatives such as the Creative Tech Experience Centres in the Mumbai and Gurgaon campuses, WPP Stream India and the WPP Ignite Awards were launched and scaled during Srinivas’ tenure, placing creativity and technology at the centre of the organisation.

On social impact, WPP said the WPP India Foundation expanded its reach under his chairmanship, supporting nearly 20,000 children. It also said he positioned WPP as a leader in industry-wide sustainability efforts, including as a founding member of Xynteo’s Vikaasa coalition.

WPP highlighted Srinivas’ wider industry roles as well. Before leading WPP in India, he held senior positions including CEO – South Asia at GroupM and CEO Asia Pacific at Maxus.

He was part of the team that launched India’s first media Agency of Record in 1995, Fulcrum for HUL, and has served on the boards of BARC, ABC, MRUC and IAA, besides being a founding co-chairman of MMA India.

The company said his leadership has been recognised with awards including IAA Media Agency Head of the Year (2015) and the XLRI Distinguished Alumnus Award (2023).

WPP said the next phase of leadership for India will be announced in due course.