India – Havas India has appointed Manas Lahiri as its new chief growth officer, tasked with driving accelerated growth and fostering innovation across the network’s 25 companies.
In this newly created role, Lahiri will collaborate closely with Havas India’s executive leadership team to drive strategic growth initiatives, strengthen client partnerships, and lead innovative business opportunities across the network’s 25 agencies nationwide.
Lahiri brings over 20 years of experience in advertising, brand marketing, and business leadership, having held senior roles at agencies like VML India, Ogilvy, McCann, and Contract India. He has worked with major brands such as Samsung, Lenovo, Amazon, Coca-Cola, and Reckitt, starting his career in client-side sales and marketing before transitioning to advertising, giving him a comprehensive understanding of both sectors.
With this appointment, Lahiri returns to Havas India after holding multiple roles from 2018 to 2023, including managing director of Havas Creative India (formerly Havas Worldwide India). During his previous tenure, he reshaped the agency, driving key business wins, strengthening client relationships, and developing growth strategies that delivered impactful results.
Most recently, Lahiri served as executive growth partner at VML India, where he played a key role in expanding the agency’s footprint and securing several major accounts.
Speaking about his new role, Lahiri said, “I am thrilled to rejoin Havas India at such an exciting juncture. Havas has always been close to my heart, and the network’s journey of transformation into a consolidated, client-centric ecosystem is truly inspiring. I look forward to contributing to this next phase of growth by driving meaningful partnerships, fostering innovation, and building on the strong foundation created by Rana and the team. I look forward to partnering with all the fabulous leaders in this journey.”
Lahiri will be based in Mumbai and report to Rana Barua, group CEO of Havas India for SEA and North Asia (Japan & South Korea).
Commenting on the appointment, Barua explained, “Manas’ return to Havas India comes at a crucial time as we continue our strong momentum as a proven integrated and future-facing network. With Havas India’s phenomenal transformation over the past few years, we needed a proven leader to scale our growth ambitions further. Manas’ strategic acumen, extensive industry experience, and deep understanding of our network’s values make him the ideal choice to take on this role. He will also be pivotal in advancing our converged strategy, working closely with Sanchita Roy and John Thangaraj—our respective chief strategy officers of the media & creative networks.”
