Dentsu Aegis Network acquires majority stake in WATConsult

WATConsult will now become a part of Isobar and will be called 'WATConsult - Linked by Isobar'. Rajiv Dingra is CEO of the new entity.

The Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) has announced the acquisition of WATConsult, a homegrown social and digital media agency. WATConsult will now become a part of Isobar, DAN's global digital marketing agency, and will be called 'WATConsult - Linked by Isobar'.

Founded in 2007, the Rajiv Dingra-led WATConsult currently employs over 160 professionals across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata. Dingra will lead the newly named entity as CEO, and will report to Ashish Bhasin, chairman and CEO, DAN, South Asia.

Also, Dingra will now join the Digital Council of Dentsu Aegis Network India, alongside the CEOs of Isobar, iProspect and WebChutney.

His management team will include Nipun Kapur, COO of WATConsult and Heeru Dingra, CFO of WATConsult; both will continue in their respective roles.

About the development, Dingra says in a press release, "We are delighted to join hands with Dentsu Aegis Network. Our entire team is looking forward to taking WATConsult - Linked by Isobar to even greater heights. We are confident that by becoming a part of a digital-focused network like DAN, we will gain a competitive advantage in the fast-consolidating Indian market. We see huge growth opportunity in the area of digital advertising, particularly in social media, digital video and mobile..."

Says Bhasin, "Having WATConsult as a member of our family will further enhance our digital offering and support our growth in the market. WATConsult will join iProspect, Isobar and Webchutney in making our digital offering the most comprehensive one in India."

Nick Waters, CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific, adds, "The acquisition of WATConsult marks another significant step for our group in India. This is a high-quality, award-winning market leader specialising in one of the fastest growing and critical segments of the market...We view India as a priority market and will continue to seek scaled and quality investment opportunities here."

Besides operating as a full service digital agency, WATConsult also provides its client base (including names like Godrej Group, Nikon, Tata Chemicals, Bestseller Group and Bajaj Allianz) with creative and technology services across mobile, digital and video platforms. The agency also boasts other 'specialist areas' such as an in-house analytics capability with dashboards and tools for social and digital media.

This development takes the number of DAN's digital specialists in India to over 600 professionals.