In a pivotal development, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Tuesday approved Omnicom Group’s proposed acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG), making India the tenth jurisdiction globally — and the seventh this week — to greenlight the much-anticipated deal. While the detailed order from the antitrust body is awaited, the approval clears a key hurdle for the deal’s global closure.
According to a global spokesperson for Omnicom, the deal has now secured approvals from 10 of the 20 required jurisdictions. These include China, Japan, Brazil, Egypt, Singapore, Colombia, South Africa, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and now India.
Approvals from other major markets — particularly the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and Australia — are expected in the coming months. However, the deal already enjoys overwhelming support from shareholders, with over 90 per cent of each company’s stockholders having voted in favour in the US.
“We will continue to work on obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals. We remain on track to close in the second half of 2025,” the spokesperson told e4m.
Sources close to the deal suggest that both Omnicom and IPG have proactively addressed potential antitrust concerns by identifying overlapping verticals and proposing operational safeguards or limited divestitures where needed.
Countdown to Q4
Industry insiders believe the deal could be finalized by Q4 2025, paving the way for a seismic shift in how global agency networks operate. If successful, it may trigger a wave of consolidation across the industry and push rival holding companies to accelerate their transformation strategies.
As the Indian market continues its rapid growth, the dynamic between these two global giants will be closely watched, as both seek to tap into one of the world’s most vibrant advertising landscapes.
For now, one thing is clear: Omnicom’s global merger ambitions are no longer speculative — they’re material, maturing, and moving steadily toward reality.
Second Largest in India
Experts note that in India, the combined entity will become the second-largest advertising group by market share.
“Omnicom+IPG will emerge as a strong number two, commanding a brand share of 25.7%, compared to GroupM’s (WPP Media) dominance of 35%,” said Sam Balsara, Chairman of Madison World, in an earlier interview.
Both companies operate a diverse portfolio of agencies in India across media, creative, and PR services. Together, they employ over 8,000 people in the country—making local integration a key priority.
Industry watchers are particularly curious about how the merger will play out among the six creative powerhouses involved: McCann, FCB, and MullenLowe Lintas (IPG) and DDB Mudra, TBWA, and BBDO (Omnicom). The question of potential conflicts due to competing clients remains a major point of speculation.
Market dynamics suggest the possibility of several more mergers and acquisitions occurring incrementally across the sector.
Global Scale
Omnicom and IPG, two of the world’s largest advertising networks, present a fascinating study in contrasts between their global and Indian operations. While Omnicom Media Group (OMG) leads globally, IPG outpaces OMG in India—a rare but significant reversal.
According to their FY2024 financial reports:
Omnicom Group Global Revenue: $15.7 billion (₹1.3 lakh crore)
IPG Group Global Revenue: $10.7 billion (₹88,810 crore)
Omnicom’s global revenue is approximately 35% higher, reinforcing its leadership status. But in India, IPG’s agencies—such as Lodestar UM, Initiative, and Interactive Avenues—have enjoyed a stronger foothold, particularly in media and digital.
This makes India one of the few markets where the merger is not just about scale, but complementarity. Observers expect a nuanced integration strategy here, involving dual branding, leadership harmonization, and phased structural alignment.
Transition Starts
A significant internal restructuring is already underway across both the groups, globally.
In IPG group India, it has been more visible over the past two months. For instance, at McCann Worldgroup India, COO Jitendar Dabas and veteran Alok Lall have moved on. In PR, Weber Shandwick India CEO Valerie Pinto stepped down after 10 years. At IPG Mediabrands India, Shashi Sinha has become Executive Chairman, Amardeep Singh was promoted to CEO.
On the Omnicom side, the creative agency BBDO India, CEO Suraja Kishore and Ranjeev Vij, Executive Director (North) at TBWA India and Managing Director of Nissan United, exited the group.
Source: Other