Facebook Announces the India Client Council

There are now more than 100 million people in India connected through Facebook, and in the past year the company has invested heavily in creating solutions, like click to Missed Call feature, that are tailored to the needs of people and advertisers here. Today they are excited to announce a next step in our efforts to better serve our partners — the India Client Council.

Comprised of a diverse group of leading client and agency partners, the India Client Council is a forum where some of India’s leading marketers can listen, inspire and share ideas about the future of marketing.

“The India Client Council is an incredible initiative to discuss the future of marketing by igniting conversations amongst some of India’s most influential marketers. I’m excited that Facebook has decided to set this in motion and we’re looking forward to contributing and learning from this wonderful initiative.” — CVL Srinivas, GroupM.

“Facebook has been one of the key growth partners for Flipkart and the e-commerce industry at large. As a Council member, I’m really keen on engaging in an open and transparent idea sharing platform with other people in the Indian ecosystem to find ways in which we can grow not just our business, but trade and commerce in general.” — Sachin Bansal, Flipkart.

In India and around the world, the rate of people with access to digital services and devices is skyrocketing, and for many here the mobile phone has already become a true lifeline, providing information about market prices, healthcare, banking, employment and entertainment.

This rapid acceleration of mobile presents businesses with unprecedented opportunities to reach their customers, but also new challenges. Facebook is committed to helping businesses navigate this changing landscape, and the client council makes clients and agency partners a key part of this journey.

“As a client that has advertised on Facebook for both direct response as well as brand campaigns, I’m delighted to work with some of finest marketing gurus in India to incubate ideas that will make this platform and the marketing ecosystem even better for brands.” — Mohit Beotra, Airtel.

“The India Council hopes to find a meeting ground for many brands that no longer just want to talk at young consumers in India, but CONNECT with them and Facebook’s really huge and growing base of young Indians who desire to fulfill their social needs, through a win-win programme. I am happy to be a part of the Council.” — Sam Balsara, Madison World

“I am looking forward to partnering with Facebook and other Council members to exchange and explore ideas on how we can together be better mobile marketers. Being a leading mobile phone player, we have been instrumental in driving the growing penetration of smart phones in the country, thus sharing a symbiotic relationship with Facebook as well as other players in the ecosystem. As marketers, we are increasingly pivoting to mobile-centric ideas, and with many people in India accessing Facebook through their mobile device it offers an immense opportunity for all of us to reach out to our customers in a meaningful way at any time of the day.” — Vineet Taneja, Micromax.

Helping people and businesses connect is a key component of Facebook’s mission to make the world more open and connected. They are thrilled to partner with the members of the Client Council to help further that work in India.

The India Client Council

• Delna Avari — Head of Marketing and Communication Services, Tata Motors
• Sam Balsara — Chairman and Managing Director, Madison World
• Sachin Bansal — CEO, Flipkart
• Mohit Beotra — Head of Brand, Airtel
• Sonali Dhawan — Director of Marketing, South Asia, Procter & Gamble India
• Sujit Ganguli — Head of Corporate Brand and Communications Group, ICICI Bank
• Ashish Kashyak — Founder and CEO, ibibo Group
• Heavent Malhotra — Managing Director, Jabong
• Daniel Meynen — Marketing Director, RB India
• Ronita Mitra — Senior Vice President, Brand and Consumer Insights, Vodafone India
• Vishal Sampat — CEO, SMG Convonix
• Samir Singh — Executive Director, Hindustan Unilever
• Jasmin Sohrabji — Managing Director, India and Southeast Asia, OMG
• CVL Srinivas — CEO, GroupM
• Vineet Taneja — CEO, Micromax
• Sandip Tarkas — President of Customer Strategy, Future Group