Amid increasing importance of consumer data and debates over data privacy, US-based consumer data major Acxiom has decided to enter India’s burgeoning consumer market. The company already has a strong presence in the US, Europe and China markets.

A 50-year-old San Francisco-based company, Acxiom is a part of advertising and media agency giant Interpublic Public Group (IPG). IPG acquired Acxiom in 2018 for $2.3 billion.

The company offers data and services to help brands, their agencies and their technology partners navigate the complexity of creating exceptional experiences across every consumer touchpoints.

“India is as important a market as China. I think now is the time to enter the Indian market and scale the operations before it becomes too big to miss the bus. We are planning to start our office in India in the next six to eight months,” Arun Kumar, IPG’s Chief Data and Technology Officer, told e4m.

Kumar, who was one of the architects behind IPG’s acquisition of Acxiom, further said, “There is a huge talent pool for analytics, but what is lacking here is how to collect consumer data, manage it and connect with the rest of the ecosystem on all physical and digital points.”

The company is planning to hire 1,000-1,500 employees in India. It has not yet decided the city where it will headquarter in India.

Since the IPG is headquartered in Mumbai and many of its clients are based in Mumbai, it is expected that Axciom would also operate from Mumbai. It’s data centres might be located in smaller cities, Kumar hinted.

Acxiom’s decision to enter the Indian market has come at a time when consumers are increasingly concerned about their data privacy and the government of India plans to bring data protection law to bring accountability and transparency in how consumer data is managed and used by marketers.

By adding Acxiom to its India offerings, the IPG Mediabrands is positioning itself for a future in which data-driven marketing solutions will be increasingly core to brands' success.

The company has developed tools that break down data silos activating data across both digital and offline channels. The process helps brands deliver targeted experiences that integrate disparate channels, advertising and marketing technologies, and data across the customer journey.

The company also helps brands to manage 1st, 2nd and 3rd party data at scale using a comprehensive suite of offerings including data strategy and management, audience creation, performance media, planning and buying, personalized messaging, and analytics-all by adhering to privacy laws in the respective countries, says Arun Kumar.