Leadership for Digital Expansion

BigTrunk Communications, a prominent full-service digital marketing agency headquartered in Mumbai, has appointed Santosh Pawar as Senior Vice President – Business. This strategic hire underscores the agency’s commitment to accelerating growth, forging key partnerships, and expanding its footprint across India and international markets. With Pawar’s extensive media sales expertise, BigTrunk positions itself to bridge traditional broadcast strengths with performance-driven digital strategies amid evolving brand requirements.

Appointment Context and Strategic Imperative

Founded in 2013 during India’s mobile revolution, BigTrunk Communications has evolved from a mobile advertising specialist into a comprehensive digital powerhouse. Co-founders Akhil Nair (CEO) and Bharat Subramaniam (Managing Director) established the agency with a vision symbolized by Lord Ganesha’s trunk—representing wisdom, adaptability, and obstacle navigation. Today, with offices in Mumbai, Bengaluru, New Delhi, and the UAE, BigTrunk serves marquee clients across sectors through integrated services encompassing SEO, SEM, social media, content, and media planning.

The appointment of Santosh Pawar arrives at a pivotal moment. Agencies face increasing pressure to converge traditional media monetization with digital performance marketing, as brands demand measurable outcomes across platforms. Pawar’s induction bolsters the leadership bench, enabling BigTrunk to capitalize on its 38% employee growth rate and revenue exceeding ₹100 crore. This move supports the agency’s partner-led approach, emphasizing advertiser relationships and market dynamics in a competitive landscape.

Santosh Pawar’s Professional Pedigree

Santosh Pawar brings over a decade of national sales leadership experience from India’s premier broadcast and entertainment networks. His career trajectory includes pivotal roles at Sun TV Network and Shemaroo Entertainment, where he drove revenue growth and cultivated large-scale advertiser partnerships. Previously, as Zonal Head – Sales at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Pawar managed complex regional ecosystems, honing skills in navigating media landscapes and delivering consistent business expansion.

This background equips him uniquely for BigTrunk’s ambitions. Pawar’s proficiency in building enduring brand relationships spans traditional and digital channels, aligning perfectly with the agency’s evolution toward integrated solutions. His track record in revenue optimization and strategic partnerships positions him to lead business development initiatives that enhance client acquisition and retention.

In his own words, Pawar expressed enthusiasm for the role: “BigTrunk Communications is at an exciting stage of growth where digital solutions are directly influencing business outcomes for brands. I look forward to leveraging my experience in media partnerships and market expansion to help the agency scale its impact and build stronger brand relationships across industries.”

BigTrunk’s Leadership Vision and Comment

Bharat Subramaniam, Founder and Managing Director, welcomed Pawar with strong endorsement: “Santosh’s deep experience in national media sales and advertiser partnerships adds a significant dimension to our leadership team. His understanding of brand ecosystems and market dynamics will help us accelerate our growth and strengthen our partner-led approach across categories.”

Subramaniam’s perspective reflects BigTrunk’s founder-led culture, where senior accessibility drives agility. Akhil Nair’s financial services expertise complements Subramaniam’s media distribution acumen, creating a balanced leadership core. Pawar’s addition enhances this triad, infusing broadcast-level sales rigor into digital-first strategies. This structure appeals to clients seeking strategic partnerships over transactional vendor dynamics.

Implications for Clients and Industry Peers

For BigTrunk’s clients—spanning financial services, consumer goods, telecom, and beyond—this appointment signals enhanced service depth. Pawar’s influence will likely amplify media planning capabilities, integrating traditional reach with digital precision to optimize ROAS and engagement. Agencies often struggle with siloed expertise; Pawar bridges this gap, enabling holistic campaigns that leverage first-party data, programmatic buying, and cross-channel attribution.

Industry-wide, the hire exemplifies a broader trend: digital agencies recruiting media veterans to counter platform dominance by Google, Meta, and OTT players. In India’s maturing martech ecosystem, where digital ad spend nears $10 billion annually, such integrations become table stakes. BigTrunk’s expansion into international markets, particularly the UAE, gains momentum through Pawar’s regional revenue playbook.

Agency Growth Trajectory and Competitive Edge

BigTrunk’s journey from startup to ₹100 crore revenue generator highlights operational excellence. A team of over 100 marketing experts delivers end-to-end solutions, from strategy to execution, under the “#MakeBigHappen” ethos. Services extend to the “BigVerse”—an expansive service universe covering performance marketing, creative production, influencer management, and emerging tech like AI-driven personalization.

Pawar’s mandate focuses on three pillars: business growth, partnerships, and market expansion. Expect intensified pursuits in high-potential verticals like BFSI, e-commerce, and FMCG, where advertiser budgets concentrate. His zonal sales heritage will aid penetration into Tier-2/3 cities, aligning with India’s digital democratization.

Competitively, BigTrunk differentiates through founder involvement and measurable outcomes. Unlike network agencies with diluted client focus, its lean structure ensures rapid iteration and customized roadmaps. Pawar’s onboarding fortifies this model, potentially elevating win rates in RFPs and multi-agency consolidations.

Future Outlook: Scaling Impact in Converged Media

This appointment catalyzes BigTrunk’s next growth phase. As digital matures, convergence with traditional media accelerates—think CTV, DOOH, and social commerce. Pawar’s expertise positions the agency to lead this hybrid era, delivering integrated narratives that drive business transformation.

For marketing leaders, BigTrunk under Pawar’s stewardship offers a compelling proposition: proven revenue architects reimagining digital success. As the agency eyes global scale, stakeholders anticipate amplified innovation, stronger ecosystems, and sustained leadership in India’s dynamic advertising arena.