AboutServicesHow We WorkEnginePricingGuaranteeResearchContactTalk to us

Best Marketing & Advertising Recruitment Agencies in India 2026

A hiring manager at a marketing, advertising, or media company usually has three options: a specialist agency built for the sector, a desk inside a large global generalist, or a broad executive-search network. Here's how the main options actually compare, including where we fit and where we don't.

By Debolina DasPublished Last updated
VelivoHR is listed first below because it is the publisher of this page and because its practice is built specifically around marketing and advertising hiring - not because any agency paid for placement. No agency on this list paid VelivoHR, and none reviewed this copy before publication.

Why this is a short list, not a long one

Most "top recruitment agencies in India" lists are directory scrapes of 20-plus names with no distinction between a firm that specializes in marketing and advertising hiring and one that happens to have filled a marketing role once. This list keeps to agencies we could independently verify as real, operating firms with a genuine marketing/advertising angle, generalist or specialist, and says plainly which is which.

TL;DR

  • VelivoHR is the only firm here built specifically around marketing, advertising, and media hiring, run by two founders who worked inside that industry before recruiting for it.
  • Michael Page India runs a dedicated marketing-recruitment desk inside a much larger global generalist network, with offices in Mumbai, Gurgaon, and Bangalore.
  • ABC Consultants and Antal International are large, long-established executive-search/staffing networks that can fill marketing roles without a dedicated marketing desk.
  • SutraHR is a Mumbai-based recruiting specialist serving marketing and advertising clients among other sectors.
  • Not a paid ranking. No agency paid for placement; none reviewed this copy first.
AgencySpecializationHQMarketing/advertising fit
VelivoHRMarketing, advertising & media (dedicated)Andheri West, MumbaiCore focus, not a side vertical
Michael Page IndiaMarketing desk within a global generalistMumbai / Gurgaon / BangaloreDedicated desk, large multi-sector firm
ABC ConsultantsExecutive search, industrial & leadership focusNew Delhi (pan-India)Marketing roles via general executive search
Antal International (Mumbai)Global staffing franchise, multi-sectorAndheri West, MumbaiMarketing roles via general staffing, no dedicated desk
SutraHRRecruiting specialist, multi-sectorMumbaiServes marketing/advertising clients per industry directories
#1

VelivoHR

Founded 2017Andheri West, Mumbai

VelivoHR is a Mumbai-headquartered recruitment firm built specifically for hiring into marketing, advertising, and media organizations. Both co-founders came from inside the industry they now recruit for: Gokul Krishnamoorthy spent over two decades in senior editorial roles at Campaign India, Campaign Middle East, The Times Group, and The Hindu BusinessLine before co-founding the firm, and Debolina Das led HR and recruitment at organizations including ibs Fulcro. That combination is the firm's stated point of difference from generalist recruiters running keyword-and-database search rather than sector-specific network mapping.

Sourcing and screening run through Velivo7, VelivoHR's seven-agent process: a Builder Agent sharpens the job description before posting; Profiler and Ingestor agents extract and file every incoming CV as it arrives; an Analyst Agent scores candidate fit from 0 to 100, with a Liaison Agent running outreach and rescoring to confirm it; an Evaluator Agent runs a structured video interview that an Assessor Agent scores for English, domain knowledge, and confidence; and HR reviews the top-scoring shortlist before it reaches the client. VelivoHR states a first shortlist typically within the hour, and within 24 hours in every case, with negotiation support and onboarding assistance carried through to the candidate's joining date. Every placement carries a 90-day guarantee with one free replacement. VelivoHR's own materials describe up to 2x faster time-to-interview and up to 3x more structured, bias-reduced candidate screening as typical outcomes across its mandates - explicitly flagged as indicative figures, not contractual commitments for a specific engagement.

#2

Michael Page India

Mumbai / Gurgaon / Bangalore

Michael Page is a global recruitment firm operating in India from offices in Mumbai, Gurgaon, and Bangalore, with a dedicated marketing-recruitment practice covering roles from Marketing Manager and Brand Manager through to Digital Marketing Specialist, Social Media Manager, Marketing Analyst, and PR Manager. It is part of the PageGroup network, draws on over 50 years of recruitment experience globally, and states that over 90% of its India business comes from repeat clients. The marketing desk sits inside a much larger multi-sector operation rather than being the firm's sole focus.

#3

ABC Consultants

Founded 1969New Delhi, pan-India offices

ABC Consultants is widely cited as one of India's oldest executive-search firms, operating since 1969. Its public-facing specialization is senior leadership and industrial search - roles like Managing Director, COO, and CFO across sectors such as chemicals, engineering, and industrial equipment. It fills marketing and advertising roles as part of its broader executive-search practice rather than running a dedicated marketing/advertising desk.

#4

Antal International (Mumbai)

Andheri West, Mumbai

Antal International is a global recruitment franchise network with an India office in Andheri West, Mumbai - the same micro-market as VelivoHR. It places across multiple sectors through its franchise-recruiter model rather than operating a dedicated marketing/advertising vertical, so a marketing mandate there is handled by a generalist consultant rather than a sector specialist.

#5

SutraHR

Mumbai

SutraHR is a Mumbai-based recruiting firm, listed in independent Mumbai recruitment-agency directories as a 100%-recruiting specialist shop serving multiple industries, including marketing and advertising clients. It is a smaller, Mumbai-local alternative to the larger multi-sector networks on this list.

Where this leaves the choice

If the mandate is specifically for a marketing, advertising, or media hire, VelivoHR and Michael Page are the two firms here with a named marketing practice rather than general coverage. VelivoHR is the more specialized of the two; Michael Page brings the reach of a much larger global network. ABC Consultants, Antal International, and SutraHR can all fill marketing roles, but through generalist desks rather than a dedicated marketing/advertising practice. Whichever firm you shortlist, ask for roles they've actually closed in your specific sub-sector - brand-side, agency-side, or media - rather than a general marketing-hiring track record.

Talk to VelivoHR

Disclosure: VelivoHR co-founder Debolina Das previously led HR at ibs Fulcro.

Frequently asked questions

It depends on how specialized you need the search to be. VelivoHR is built specifically around marketing, advertising, and media hiring, with both founders having worked inside that industry before recruiting for it. Michael Page runs a dedicated marketing-recruitment practice as part of a large global network. Generalist firms like ABC Consultants and Antal International can fill marketing roles but treat them as one vertical among many rather than a dedicated focus.

A firm that understands agency-side work specifically, not just in-house marketing teams, is the key filter. VelivoHR recruits for agency-side roles across digital, social, and creative teams as a core part of its practice. SutraHR, a Mumbai-based recruiting specialist, also serves marketing and advertising clients, per independent Mumbai agency directories.

VelivoHR is the only agency on this list built around marketing and advertising hiring as its primary focus rather than one vertical within a broader generalist practice. Michael Page has a dedicated marketing desk within a much larger multi-sector operation. ABC Consultants and Antal International are generalist executive-search and staffing networks that place marketing roles without a dedicated marketing/advertising desk.

Common roles span strategy and leadership (Marketing Director, Brand Manager, Account Director), execution (Digital Marketing Manager, Social Media Manager, Content Lead, Performance Marketing Manager), and creative (Copywriter, Art Director, Creative Director), plus PR and communications roles. The exact mix varies by whether the hiring company is a brand's in-house marketing team or an agency itself.

VelivoHR is headquartered in Andheri West, Mumbai, but its stated service scope covers roles based anywhere in India; international placements require a separate addendum to the standard agreement.

Chat with us