India – Edelman has promoted Bhavna Jagtiani, formerly chief operating officer of India, to chief executive officer for its India operations. Additionally, Kunal Arora, previously managing director for India digital and APAC studio lead, has been elevated to head of digital, APAC, expanding his regional responsibilities.
Over her 22-year tenure at Edelman, Jagtiani has grown with the firm, starting as an account executive and advancing to lead integrated teams across India and briefly in Hong Kong.
As COO of India, she enhanced operational efficiencies, fostered a strong organisational culture, and expanded client mandates both locally and regionally.
Now, as India CEO, Jagtiani will oversee business strategy, drive market growth, strengthen client relationships, and further enhance the firm’s capabilities to deliver award-winning, impactful solutions.
Meanwhile, as MD of digital in India for the past 10 years, Arora has developed global client offerings in digital crisis management, social media, and digital reputation. He has also led the APAC expansion of Edelman Studio, strengthening the firm’s global production capabilities with local expertise and AI-driven solutions.
As head of digital for APAC, Arora will collaborate with leaders across the network to scale the firm’s digital operations. His responsibilities include overseeing APAC Studio, enhancing team capabilities, and integrating digital solutions across all client offerings.
Jagtiani and Arora will continue to report to Rakesh Thukral, Edelman’s APAC CEO, with their appointments taking effect immediately.
Speaking on the appointments, Thukral said, “Bhavna is an undisputed culture champion, having fostered a strong workplace community of collaboration and empowerment. Her leadership in India has been instrumental in driving consistent growth for the market. And Kunal has ensured we continue to integrate the best capabilities and innovation into our offerings, ensuring the firm is equipped to help our clients excel in a constantly changing landscape.”
He continued, “Having worked side-by-side with Bhavna and Kunal, I can personally say their commitment and ability to nurture client relationships and talent make them deserving of their new roles, and I look forward to what we will accomplish together next, in their new capacities. Our digital business in Asia and our India business have the potential to grow, and I have no doubt that Kunal and Bhavna are the right leaders to partner with our teams and clients to achieve this.”
