Advertising Agencies in Mumbai · 3 Nov 2026 · 9 min read · By Amit Kumar Sharma

Advertising agencies in Mumbai: creative, media and digital, sorted

Ten Mumbai advertising and marketing agencies, sorted into creative, media and digital, with rough rupee budgets and a simple way to brief and compare them.

Key takeaways

Decide first whether you need a creative, media or digital and performance agency.
The ten agencies are listed alphabetically, with addresses and services checked on their own sites.
Ask every agency to separate fees from media and production, and to state GST.
Brief with a business problem and a success metric, and ask for a 90-day plan, not free creative.

Mumbai is where most of India's big advertising networks keep their headquarters, and where a new generation of digital-first agencies grew up alongside them. That makes the search for advertising agencies in Mumbai confusing: a Lower Parel social agency, an Andheri media buyer and a Santacruz network creative shop can all call themselves an "ad agency," yet they do very different jobs.

This guide sorts that out. It lists ten Mumbai agencies, explains which kind of work each one leads with, then covers budgets in rupees, how to brief an agency, and what to avoid.

Disclosure: Appryze compiled this list. We are a performance marketing team based in New Delhi, we have no Mumbai office, and we are not included or ranked here. The agencies appear alphabetically, not in order of quality. Each address, founding year and service was checked on the agency's own website in November 2026. We have left out ratings, prices, awards and client names because we could not verify them independently. Please confirm details directly with each agency.

Creative, media or digital: the three kinds of Mumbai agency

Before you shortlist, decide which job you are hiring for. Most "top 10 ad agencies in Mumbai" lists mix all three, which is why they are hard to use.

Type	What they do	Hire them when
Creative agency	Brand ideas, campaigns, ad films, brand identity	You need a big idea or a brand platform, often for TV, outdoor and digital together
Media agency	Planning and buying across TV, print, outdoor, radio, cinema and digital	You have a large media budget and need negotiating power and planning
Digital and performance agency	Social media, paid search, paid social, SEO, programmatic, websites	Your growth depends on measurable online leads, sales or installs

Many groups now offer all three, but they are usually stronger at one. Ask which one they would lead with for your brand.

Top 10 advertising agencies in Mumbai (listed A to Z)

This is a starting shortlist, not a ranking. If you were looking for a "top 10 advertising agency in Mumbai" list sorted by size or awards, note that we have deliberately avoided rankings we could not check.

BC Web Wise

BC Web Wise lists its office in the Marol Cooperative Industrial Estate, Andheri East. Its site says it has worked with brands since 2000, names Chaaya Baradhwaaj as founder, and mentions offices in Mumbai and Delhi. It emphasizes brand strategy, creative and consumer research, with social media, search marketing and website development in its services menu. Leads with: digital creative.

DDB Mudra Group

DDB Mudra Group lists its Mumbai office at Omnicom House, opposite the Grand Hyatt in Santacruz East. Its site traces the group to Mudra Communications, founded by A.G. Krishnamurthy in 1980, and names three agencies in the group: DDB Mudra, 22feet Tribal Worldwide and Mudramax. Leads with: integrated creative.

Ethinos

Ethinos lists a Mumbai office at Solitaire Corporate Park in Chakala, Andheri East, with further offices in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, Australia and the US. Its service areas are AI-based media performance programs, omnichannel marketing, data-driven marketing, B2B marketing and digital solutions. Leads with: performance media.

Infidigit

Infidigit lists its office at Topiwala Centre on SV Road, Goregaon West, plus a New York address, and says it started in 2017. Its offering centers on organic growth: SEO, conversion rate optimization, app store optimization, content and website development. Leads with: SEO.

Interactive Avenues

Interactive Avenues lists its Mumbai office at Chhibber House on M Vasanji Road, Andheri East, near Sakinaka Metro, with offices in Gurugram, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Chennai. It describes itself as part of the Interpublic Group and lists media, programmatic, data and analytics, ecommerce, paid search, social, SEO, CRO and creative among its crafts. Leads with: digital media.

Madison World

Madison World says Sam Balsara started Madison in 1988 and that it operates from Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad. It specializes in media (digital, TV, print, radio, cinema, outdoor and activation), PR, creative and sport. Leads with: media.

Ogilvy India

Ogilvy lists its Mumbai office on the 5th floor of The ORB in Marol, Andheri East. The network was founded by David Ogilvy in 1948, and its site lists advertising, PR and influence, relationship design, consulting and health as its capabilities. Leads with: brand creative.

Schbang

Schbang lists its Mumbai office at Trade World, Kamala Mills Compound, Lower Parel, with offices in Bengaluru, Gurugram, London and Amsterdam. Its services range from branding, social media and ad film production to SEO, performance media buying, websites, apps and CRM. Leads with: integrated digital.

Social Panga

Social Panga lists its Mumbai office at Modi House in Andheri West, with further offices in Navi Mumbai, Bengaluru, Gurugram and Dubai Media City. It describes itself as an integrated social media and digital marketing agency. Leads with: social and digital.

WATConsult

WATConsult lists its Mumbai office in Worli, with offices in Delhi NCR and Bengaluru, and says it is part of Dentsu Creative. Its enquiry options include social media marketing, digital media planning and buying, online reputation management, influencer marketing, SEO, technology solutions and digital video. Leads with: social and digital.

What advertising budgets look like in rupees

No agency publishes a rate card, and fees depend on scope, seniority and brand size. The ranges below are rough, typical figures for planning conversations, not quotes. Expect real proposals to fall outside them.

Engagement	Typical fee structure	Rough planning range
Social media management (independent agency)	Monthly retainer	From around ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh a month
Integrated digital mandate (mid-size agency)	Monthly retainer	Often ₹2 lakh to ₹10 lakh a month
Performance marketing	Retainer or % of ad spend	Fee on top of media; plan at least ₹1 to 3 lakh a month in media to learn anything
Network creative retainer	Retainer plus project fees	Usually well above digital retainers; varies by brand
Ad film production	Per project	Quoted separately from any retainer
Media buying	Commission or fee on media	Linked to media volume

Two rules make comparisons fairer. Ask every agency to separate fees from media spend, and ask whether GST is included. For paid media, the ad platforms should bill you directly so you always see the real spend.

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How to pick the right partner, not just a top marketing agency in Mumbai

A famous name is not the same as a good fit. A top marketing agency in Mumbai for a national FMCG launch may be the wrong choice for a D2C brand that needs leads at a target cost next month. Score each shortlisted agency on these points:

Relevant work. Ask for two or three examples in your category or business model, and what the agency itself did on each.
The real team. Ask who will run the account after the pitch, how senior they are, and how many other brands they handle.
Measurement. For digital work, ask how they track results: GA4, conversion APIs, call tracking, or a mobile measurement partner for apps.
Language reach. If you sell beyond metros, ask how they produce Hindi, Marathi or other regional-language creative, and who checks it.
Ownership. Ad accounts, pages, analytics and creative source files should belong to your company.
Terms. Notice period, review points and what happens to work in progress if you part ways.

For digital-heavy briefs, also compare agencies outside Mumbai. Our guide to the best marketing agencies in Delhi covers the NCR market, and the digital marketing section has more buying guides.

How to brief a Mumbai agency

A clear brief saves weeks and gets you comparable proposals. Keep it to two pages:

The business problem in one sentence, for example "grow repeat orders in Pune and Bengaluru" rather than "increase awareness".
Audience: who buys, where they live, which languages they use.
Budget range for fees and, separately, for media and production.
What has been tried and what the numbers were.
Success metric and the time frame for judging it.
Mandatories: brand guidelines, legal or category restrictions, approvals process.

Ask each agency for a response to the brief, not a free campaign. A short point of view and a 90-day plan tells you more than speculative creative.

Red flags to watch for

Undisclosed influencer posts. India's advertising self-regulator, ASCI, says influencer posts need an upfront label such as "Ad" or "Sponsored" whenever there is a material connection with the brand. An agency that skips this puts your brand at risk.
Fee and media blended into one number, so you cannot see what reached the platforms.
Follower and reach targets with no business outcome attached.
Agency-owned ad accounts or pages.
Pitch team swap: senior people at the pitch, juniors on the account with no senior oversight.
Promises of fixed results before they have seen your data.

Where Appryze fits

Appryze has no Mumbai office and does not offer creative, PR or branding retainers. We are a New Delhi team that runs paid performance marketing on Google Ads, Meta, Amazon and app campaigns, so we are a fit when the brief is measurable leads, sales or installs rather than a brand campaign. See how we work on our performance marketing page, or our app marketing page if you are growing a mobile app. If you also need an app built, our guide to hiring app developers in Mumbai covers that side.

Frequently asked questions

Which are the top advertising agencies in Mumbai?

Mumbai is home to large network agencies such as Ogilvy and DDB Mudra Group, media specialists such as Madison World, and digital-first agencies such as Schbang, Social Panga and WATConsult. The right choice depends on whether you need brand creative, media buying or measurable digital performance, so shortlist by type first and compare three agencies of that type.

How much does an advertising agency in Mumbai charge?

Fees vary widely. As a rough guide, independent social media retainers often start from around ₹50,000 a month, integrated digital mandates at mid-size agencies often run into several lakh a month, and network creative retainers are usually higher. Media and production are billed separately. Ask every agency to separate fees from media and state whether GST is included.

What is the difference between a creative agency and a media agency?

A creative agency develops brand ideas, campaigns and ads. A media agency plans and buys the placements where those ads run, across TV, print, outdoor, radio, cinema and digital. Large brands often use one of each. Digital and performance agencies sit in between, handling both creative and buying for online channels.

How do I choose a marketing agency in Mumbai?

Write a two-page brief with your business problem, audience, budget ranges and success metric. Send it to three agencies of the right type, ask who will actually run the account, check how they measure results and produce regional-language work, and confirm you will own all ad accounts and creative files. Compare responses on the same scorecard.

Do influencer campaigns in India need disclosure labels?

Yes. ASCI guidelines say influencer content needs a clear, upfront label such as Ad, Sponsored or Collaboration whenever there is a material connection with the advertiser, including free products. Labels should not be buried among hashtags. Your agency should build this into every influencer brief. This is practical guidance, not legal advice.

Does Appryze have an office in Mumbai?

No. Appryze is based in New Delhi and works with clients remotely. It runs paid performance marketing on Google Ads, Meta, Amazon and app campaigns, and it is not included or ranked in this list of Mumbai agencies. Appryze does not offer creative, PR or branding retainers.