Havas Media India has held on to the top position in RECMA's qualitative assessment of the Indian media agency market, marking the fifth year in a row the agency has led the ranking.
For 2026, the agency received a Dominant profile, the highest classification RECMA awards in this evaluation, with a total of 21 points. According to a report by BW Marketing World, Havas Media also finished first in new-business rankings for the period from August 2025 to August 2026.
What RECMA Measures and Why It Matters
RECMA, short for Research Company Evaluating the Media Agency Industry, is an independent research firm that reviews media agencies across multiple markets. Its rankings are closely followed by advertisers and agency holding groups as a benchmark of performance.
The India Quali Pack scores agencies on 18 criteria grouped under two headings, Vitality and Structure. Together, these look at business momentum, capabilities, resources and the makeup of each agency's client roster.
Breaking Down the 21-Point Score
Havas Media India's total comprised 11 points for Vitality and 10 points for Structure. The Vitality category weighs factors such as the balance of new business won and lost, how competitive an agency is in pitches, overall growth and awards.
The Structure category focuses on an agency's specialist resources, its range of capabilities and the quality of its client portfolio. Scoring well on both sides is what earned the agency the Dominant designation.
New Business and Activity Volume Results
Beyond the qualitative ranking, Havas Media topped RECMA's new-business table for the twelve months ending August 2026. New-business performance is often seen as a signal of an agency's competitive standing, since it reflects wins in contested pitches.
The agency was also placed among India's top five media agencies by Overall Activity Volume for 2025, a measure that reflects the scale of business an agency handles.
The Role of Data and Technology
Havas attributes part of its standing to an effort to combine strategy, data, technology and specialist skills to help brands manage an increasingly fragmented media environment.
Central to that approach is Converged.AI, the group's integrated data, tools and technology stack, which brings together data, technology and artificial intelligence alongside human expertise to deliver results for clients.
Leadership Reaction
Rana Barua, Group CEO for India, Southeast Asia and North Asia covering Japan and South Korea, described the country as a priority for the network. "India is an important market for Havas," he said, adding that staying relevant in a fast-changing media business requires continually building new capabilities.
Mohit Joshi, CEO of Havas Media Network India, said the results across qualitative assessment, new business and activity volume reflect the agency's market momentum. He linked the performance to the group's philosophy of Growth, Powered by Desire, and said the focus now is on shaping the next phase of growth in India.
What the Ranking Signals for the Agency Market
Five consecutive years at the top of RECMA's India assessment gives Havas a strong credential to bring into pitches at a time when brands are scrutinising agency value closely.
The emphasis on integrated data and AI tooling also mirrors a broader shift across the media agency sector, where technology capabilities increasingly shape how agencies compete for clients. For marketers and rival agencies alike, the results offer a snapshot of how independent evaluators are rewarding that combination of scale, growth and specialist depth.
Source: BW Marketing World
