DDB Mudra and WARC hunt for India’s sharpest young strategists

MUMBAI: Creativity may sell, but strategy decides what to sell—and how. On 26 November, DDB Mudra Group and Warc will host Portfolio Evening: Strategy Edition in Mumbai, the first platform of its kind aimed at unearthing brand strategy talent in India. Open to those with five years’ experience or less, it’s a rare chance for junior strategists to present their work to 20 of the country’s most influential agency leaders.

The format is straightforward: participants get 20 minutes to pitch their thinking to two jurors, who respond with direct feedback. No panels, no platitudes—just work and critique. The winner walks away with exclusive access to Warc’s Creative Impact Unpacked from Cannes, a compendium of case studies from the industry’s most celebrated campaigns.

To enter, applicants must submit two pieces of work by 15 November—either from their existing portfolios or in response to briefs provided by the organisers. The jury will be looking for clear problem definition, sharp consumer insights and strategic recommendations that hold water.

The evening also marks the India launch of Warc’s Future of Strategy 2025 report, which maps how planning is adapting to artificial intelligence and fragmented media. It’s a timely addition: as algorithms increasingly dictate what people see, the role of the human strategist—someone who can spot patterns, frame problems and shape narratives—becomes either more valuable or more obsolete, depending on whom you ask.

The jury includes Dheeraj Sinha, group chief executive for India and South Asia at FCB; Menaka Menon, president and managing partner for growth and strategy at DDB Mudra Group; S Subramanyeswar, group chief executive for India and chief strategy officer for Asia-Pacific at MullenLowe Lintas Group; and Prem Narayan, chief strategy officer at Ogilvy India, among others. Between them, they’ve shaped campaigns for some of India’s biggest brands.

For an industry that often celebrates execution over thinking, Portfolio Evening is a statement: strategy matters. Now it has a stage.