Wipro Consumer Care Consolidates ₹200 Crore Media Mandate to Wavemaker

Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting has consolidated its Consumer Care media mandate with Wavemaker, a WPP Media brand, unifying media strategy, planning, investment, and activation across traditional and digital channels in India.

The account, estimated at ₹200 crore (~US$24 million), returns to Wavemaker after approximately seven years with OMD India, which had held the business since May 2018.

Consolidation Unifies Fragmented Media Operations

Prior to this move, Wipro Consumer Care's media responsibilities were split across multiple agencies. OMD India managed the core portfolio, Lodestar UM handled select brands including Santoor, Chandrika, and Enchanteur, and Interactive Avenues drove digital activity.

The new arrangement places all of these functions under a single model with Wavemaker.

Neeraj Khatri, Chief Executive of India and SAARC Business at Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting, cited the need for greater coordination across planning and execution. "As we continue to scale our portfolio and deepen our consumer connect, it is important for us to have a more integrated and agile approach to media," Khatri said.

S Prasanna Rai, Senior Vice President of Marketing, added that consistency across consumer touchpoints had become a priority. "As consumer journeys become more fragmented, ensuring consistency in how our brands show up across touchpoints becomes critical," he said.

Separately, Mudra Connext was appointed to handle emerging categories within the Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting portfolio, including Wipro Lighting, sugar substitutes, and liquid detergents, indicating that specialist mandates for growth-stage categories remain outside the consolidated arrangement.

A Return to WPP After Seven Years

Wavemaker previously held the Wipro Consumer Care account for approximately five years before losing it to OMD India in 2018. The reconsolidation marks a notable return of the business to WPP Media's portfolio.

Prasanth Kumar, CEO South Asia at WPP Media, said the partnership presents "an opportunity to create value by bringing together experience, perspective, and a shared ambition for growth."

Shekhar Banerjee, President of Client Solutions at WPP Media South Asia, noted that combining WPP's capabilities in data, content, and commerce with category understanding would "unlock new growth opportunities and create work that moves both consumers and markets."

Broader APAC Consolidation Trend

The Wipro-Wavemaker deal reflects a wider pattern across Asia-Pacific. Industry data indicates that two-thirds of APAC marketers plan to consolidate agency relationships by 2027, driven by demands for efficiency, AI integration, and measurable ROI.

In early 2026, Menarini Asia-Pacific similarly consolidated its media mandate with PHD (Omnicom Media Group) across 11 APAC markets, with estimated billings of US$20 million and planning powered by Omnicom's AI platform.

In Australia, Revo Fitness renewed its media planning and buying contract with Carat for three years through 2028, covering national expansion across more than 20 gym locations.

Account History and Next Steps

Wipro Consumer Care initiated a fresh ₹200 crore media pitch in late 2025 and early 2026, with incumbent networks IPG and Omnicom Media Group both defending the business before Wavemaker secured the consolidated mandate.

The company's brand portfolio includes heritage consumer names across personal care and home categories, making media scale and cross-channel consistency central considerations in the agency selection process.

No timeline for the formal transition to Wavemaker has been publicly announced.