Sahara India forays into FMCG; calls for creative pitch

Allied Media will be the media AoR for the new business.

After announcing a mega expansion plan in the FMCG retail space, Sahara India has called for a creative pitch involving top creative agencies in the country. Sources from the industry have revealed that the creative mandate for the new FMCG business is hotly contested between several agencies, including Lowe Lintas, Rediffusion-Y&R, Contract Advertising, Percept/H and Saints & Warriors.

Allied Media, which manages the media mandate for various brands of Sahara India Pariwar, will manage it for the new business, as well.

Last week, Sahara India Pariwar announced its plan to set up one of the largest FMCG businesses in the country, with its own distribution network of more than 10,000 franchised outlets. The group also plans to have 305 warehouses spread across 285 cities, with more than 25,000 distribution vehicles.

Currently, Sahara India Pariwar has footprints in various sectors such as infrastructure and housing, financial services, media and entertainment, and information and technology.

Percept/H manages the creative duties for the portfolio of brands under Sahara India Pariwar including Sahara Samay, Sahara Samay Mumbai, Sahara Samay Uttar, Sahara Time, Sahara One, Sahara Mutual Fund, and Sahara India Life Insurance.

Recently, afaqs! had reported that Aamby Valley City, a township developed by the Sahara Group in the Pune district of Maharashtra, had called for a creative pitch. The pitch result for this account is still pending.