Founder’s Profile

The Founder

Meet the Founder: Deepak Sharma, Visionary Entrepreneur and Media Innovator

Deepak Sharma is a seasoned media professional and the founder of The Media Lab. With over 23 years of experience in the media industry, Deepak Sharma is recognized for his exceptional leadership skills and his ability to transform media agencies into market leaders.

Deepak Sharma began his career in media planning and buying in 2000 with RKSwamy/BBDO, a leading media agency in India. After gaining valuable experience in media planning and buying, he moved to Starcom (A Publicis Groupe Company) in 2005 as a Media Manager. Over the next 16 years, he climbed the ranks of Starcom and eventually became the Managing Director, where he was responsible for driving growth and transformation in the organization.

Under his leadership, Starcom experienced significant growth, with the agency’s revenue increasing from INR 100 crores in 2014 to INR 1800 crores in 2018. This growth led to Starcom North becoming the largest media agency in North India. In 2018, Starcom India was named the “Starcom Office of the Year” out of 90 countries and 109 offices globally, a testament to Sharma’s leadership and vision.

Despite being a global agency, 95% of Starcom North’s businesses were indigenous, highlighting Sharma’s exceptional ability to win and retain local clients. Some of the major media businesses that Starcom North handled under Sharma’s leadership included Dabur, OPPO, Hero, realme, Luminous, Lenskart, Mars, Citibank, Ola, and Sun Pharma.

Deepak Sharma’s ability to pitch and win some of the largest businesses in India is impressive, with Dabur, Hero MotoCorp, OPPO, OLA, Lenskart, and Make My Trip among the major clients that he brought on board. In 2018, he was featured in the Impact-40 under 40 in APAC, a recognition of his outstanding contributions to the media industry.

In addition to his impressive track record of success, he has also been behind some of the most iconic campaigns in the media industry. He conceptualized the “Save the Tiger” campaign for Aircel, which garnered widespread acclaim for its unique and impactful message. He also invented the “Dabur Parivar” campaign on Star Plus, a highly successful campaign that helped Dabur establish itself as a household name in India.

During the pandemic, Deepak Sharma’s leadership skills were tested when he managed crisis management for Dabur Honey, preventing a negative report by Sunita Narain from going live on media. He also led the “OLA Drives Safe” campaign during the pandemic, highlighting the importance of safe transportation during the crisis. His “Immune India” campaign for Dabur during the pandemic was a major success and helped to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining good health during the pandemic.

His leadership, vision, and ability to transform media agencies into market leaders make him one of the most successful media professionals in India. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to found The Media Lab, where he continues to provide exceptional media solutions to clients across India. With a focus on innovation and creativity, Sharma is well-positioned to continue transforming the media industry in India and beyond.