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Purvita Chatterjee

Mumbai , Sept 23

WITH the Omnicom group stepping up its presence in India, Mudra Communications is looking at the possibility of tying up with its global partner for its healthcare communication services.

At present its healthcare division exists under the name of Brand Therapist and has been working closely with DDB Health.

The agency is now exploring the possibility of formally bringing in its JV partner DDB into its operations.

Speaking to Business Line, Mr Madhukar Kamath, MD & CEO, Mudra Communications, said, "It will be DDB and Omnicom which might bring in their healthcare services in future."

In the recent past DDB has brought in its global interactive agency network, Tribal DDB Worldwide, to float a new agency with Mudra.

Besides, Mudra has also entered into a partnership with Omnicom's direct marketing speciality outfit, Rapp Collins Worldwide.

"DDB has been stepping up its involvement with India and there is constant interaction with our senior management team. The manifestation of this is already here through Rapp Collins and DDB Tribal. Although we have not announced it, healthcare is an area where there may be greater involvement of DDB and the Omnicom group," says Mr Kamath, who is just back from Shanghai after attending DDB's global Asia Pacific conference.

However, in its media buying and planning functions, Mudra is still not looking at any kind of affiliation with the Omnicom group.

"There is a media buying company, OMD with the Omnicom Group but there are no plans to bring it in," states Mr Kamath.

Neither are there chances of DDB increasing its meagre 10 per cent stake in the agency.

"There is a difference between having a stake and increasing involvement and in the case of DDB the involvement has been total," says Mr Kamath.

However, the Omnicom group of which DDB is a part, already has a majority stake in other Indian agencies such as RK Swamy BBDO and TBWA.

Meanwhile, Mudra is getting ready to participate in the pitching process for the ADAE (Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Enterprises, its promoter) account as it would include the lucrative accounts of Reliance Infocomm, Reliance Energy and Reliance Capital.

"Reliance just comprises ten per cent of our total business and we will be pitching for these accounts just like any other agency," says Mr Kamath.

Mudra handles the creative and media accounts of Reliance Energy and Reliance Capital while Reliance Infocomm's media account is with OMS, the media buying division belonging to the agency.

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