Dentsu Aegis Network makes acquisition in India

Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired Indian social and digital media agency WATConsult.WATConsult will become part of Isobar and will be referred to as “WATConsult – Linked by Isobar”. WATConsult’s growth has been led by CEO, Rajiv Dingra. Currently, the agency has with over 160 professionals in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata.Having evolved from being a social media agency to a full service digital agency, WATConsult also provides its client base with creative and technology services across mobile, digital and video. Other specialist areas include an in-house analytics capability with dashboards and tools for social and digital media. Clients include the Godrej Group, Nikon, Tata Chemicals, Bestseller Group, Bajaj Allianz and more than 70 other national and global brands.Dingra will continue as CEO of WATConsult – Linked by Isobar, reporting to Ashish Bhasin, chairman and CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia. His key management team, including Nipun Kapur, COO of WATConsult and Heeru Dingra, CFO of WATConsult, will also continue in their respective roles. Dingra will also join the digital council of Dentsu Aegis Network India, alongside the CEO’s of Isobar, iProspect and WebChutney.Nick Waters (pictured), CEO Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific, said the acquisition of WATConsult marks another significant step for Dentsu Aegis group in India.“Alongside Isobar, iProspect, and WebChutney we have created the largest and highest quality digital services capability in India. We view India as a priority market and will continue to seek scaled and quality investment opportunities here,” said Waters.Jean Lin, global CEO of Isobar, said: “This acquisition not only complements our existing business in India, but also adds further depth to our global social media offering. Together, we look forward to pushing the boundaries of digital innovation to deliver our vision of delivering Ideas Without Limits to our clients.”Rajiv Dingra, CEO WATConsult, said, “We are confident that by becoming a part of a digital focused network like Dentsu Aegis Network we will gain a competitive advantage in the fast consolidating Indian market. As an agency we see huge growth opportunity in digital advertising, particularly social media, digital video and mobile, and we are geared to capitalising on it.”