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India’s advertising market is set for an active second half of the year, with over Rs 2,000 crore worth of media pitches currently in motion, indicating significant shifts in client–agency alignments. According to the Pitch Madison Advertising Report 2025, digital AdEx grew by 14% in 2024, while overall advertising spends grew by 9%, the slowest expansion since 2017. However, the prediction for 2025 is that AdEx will grow by 11 per cent. It will be interesting to see if these forecasts hold as marquee account reviews play out.
Here is a look at some of the largest brand pitches currently underway—
Raymond Group
The men’s fashion major officially kicked off a search for its full media mandate around March-April, inviting agencies to pitch for what industry insiders estimate could be a Rs 400-crore account, spanning digital and other media channels across its brand portfolio.
The incumbent, Madison World, has held this account for more than a decade. In FY2024, Raymond ramped up its advertising and promotional budget to over Rs 316 crore (from Rs 223 crore), with Rs 280 crore alone attributed to its textile arm.
Flipkart
Flipkart has placed its media account, estimated to be worth over Rs 500 crore, up for pitch. The mandate, currently managed by EssenceMediacom, ranks among the country’s biggest and is expected to spark intense competition among leading media agencies.
For the second consecutive year, Flipkart Internet posted revenue growth exceeding 20%, coupled with a substantial decline in its losses.
Owned by Walmart, Flipkart runs its India operations through several entities, with Flipkart Internet handling the marketplace. This unit primarily earns through seller commissions, advertising revenue, and various seller-related service fees.
Marico
FMCG powerhouse Marico has put its media account estimated at around Rs 350 crore up for pitch, signaling its deepening investment in brand building and activation.
The company currently works with Madison Media, which took over the mandate in 2019. Notably, Marico ramped up its advertising and promotional spend by 18% to Rs 1,128 crore in FY 2024-25, with a striking 35% year-on-year rise in Q4 alone, allocating Rs 305 crore in that quarter, its highest quarterly spend in over a year, accounting for 11.2% of sales.
L’Oréal India
The beauty major has rolled out an expansive media mandate pitch pegged at over Rs 600 crore, marking one of the largest openings in the beauty and personal care category this year. The account, handled by WPP’s Wavemaker for nearly two decades, is now up for grabs following a retention in 2021. As per recent financial filings, the brand’s advertising and promotional spend surged by 23.7% to Rs 1,714.5 crore in FY2024, while operating revenue climbed 12.6% to Rs 5,576.5 crore. Leadership shifts, including new roles for Aseem Kaushik and Jacques Lebel, highlight L’Oréal India’s renewed strategic push in the market.
PNB MetLife
PNB MetLife is breaking from the conventional pitch model by calling for an integrated mandate, seeking a single agency to handle both creative and media duties. While the independent media pitch size has not been disclosed publicly, industry sources say the decision could consolidate significant marketing responsibilities under one roof, making it a closely watched move in the sector.
With some of the country’s most coveted mandates in play, competition among agencies is expected to be fierce in the coming months. Global networks and homegrown independents alike are pulling out all stops—strengthening pitch teams, innovating on integrated offerings, and leveraging data-driven planning—to secure these high-value accounts.
The outcome of these reviews will not only reshape agency rosters but could also set the tone for how India’s advertising market performs in the latter half of 2025.
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