After nearly four decades of shaping India’s media and advertising landscape, industry veteran Shashi Sinha has stepped down from his role as Strategic Advisor at Omnicom Media India, closing out one of the most influential careers in the country’s media business.

An alumnus of IIT Kanpur and IIM Bangalore, Sinha began his career at Parle before founding Lodestar in the early 1990s, widely regarded as India’s first specialised media planning and buying agency. Over the decades, he played a central role in turning media from a support function into a strategic business discipline, reshaping how brands planned, measured and invested in advertising.

Following the launch of IPG Mediabrands in India, Sinha took over as CEO, growing the network into one of the country’s largest media groups with a portfolio spanning global and domestic clients. His impact went beyond agency leadership – through roles at BARC India and MRUCI, he helped shape the industry’s approach to audience measurement and media transparency.

After the Omnicom-IPG integration, Sinha moved into a Strategic Advisor role, steering the combined business through a critical integration phase before announcing his exit this week.

His departure marks more than the end of a corporate journey – it closes a defining chapter in Indian media, led by a professional whose leadership, foresight and integrity helped shape the industry’s modern identity. Even as he steps away from Omnicom, Sinha’s influence on India’s advertising ecosystem is likely to be felt for years to come.