Havas has acquired a majority stake in PR Pundit, one of India’s foremost PR consultancy firms. This strategic move marks the debut of Havas Red, a Havas global PR network, into the vibrant Indian market. On closing, the firm will be rebranded PR Pundit Havas Red.
From left: Rana Barua, Archana Jain and Noopur Sharma
Winners of the Provoke Media's Consumer Consultancy of the Year, at the recent Asia Pacific Awards in 2023, PR Pundit is an integrated communications consultancy which has built its reputation and equity as front runners in consumer lifestyle, serving more than 100 retainer clients across a variety of sectors including Hospitality, F&B, Corporate, CPG, Start-Ups, Lifestyle, Luxury, and Beauty & Skincare. The 25-year-old company boasts expertise in brand positioning and corporate communications and has a team of 160 PR practitioners across its three offices in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi NCR.
PR Pundit has been a valued affiliate of Havas in India for some time. This acquisition cements the association and enhances Havas’ capabilities to extend public relations services in India as part of its bouquet of creative, media and healthcare offerings. In parallel, Havas Red's continued international expansion adds important new expertise and geographic reach to the network’s global clients. The entry in the Indian market is the network’s second addition in 2023, following the opening of Havas Red South Africa earlier in the year.
Archana Jain, Founder and Managing Director of PR Pundit, will continue to lead PR Pundit Havas Red, reporting to Rana Barua, Group CEO of Havas India and James Wright, Global CEO of Havas Red.
“We are thrilled to welcome PR Pundit to the Havas family. The synergies between PR Pundit’s expertise, Havas India’s clients, and the global PR clients of Havas Red are exceptionally strong, setting the stage for many meaningful collaborations. With the backing of Vivendi and their extensive entertainment assets in India, the expansion into PR, communications and social media is a strategic move that aligns perfectly with the evolving landscape of the market and industry,” commented Yannick Bolloré, Chairman and Global CEO Havas.
“Joining Havas will enable us to enrich our services and geographic reach for the benefit of our clients," said Archana Jain, who founded PR Pundit in 1998. "We are excited to lend our expertise and entrepreneurial drive as well as share our local PR understanding with Havas Red in our common goal of undertaking benchmarking work and fostering long term partnerships, with our people and clients. Our relationship is based on shared values to elevate service capabilities, open doors to new opportunities and embrace best practices from around the world.”
Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas India, said, “This acquisition once again reinforces our commitment of delivering comprehensive and impactful solutions to our clients. In our endeavour to offer integrated end-to-end communication solutions, we identified that the PR function was a missing piece. This acquisition brings together, two extremely powerful entities, Havas Red which has presence across 15 global markets with unmatched influence and reach, and PR Pundit, one of the most respected PR agencies in India with unparalleled brand reputation and a robust clientele. I welcome team PR Pundit to the Havas India family. Together with Havas Red, I look forward to the beginning of an exciting journey.”