Nikhil Nehru teams up with Charu Bakshi and Indranil Chatterjee

Three seasoned advertising professionals. A huge dose of "integrity of purpose". A handful of clients who are "on the verge of signing up". And a swank 12-odd-member office in New Delhi's posh South Extension.

That, in a nutshell, is new kid in the block INCommunications, which was started in April by ex-Confluence Communications hands Charu Bakshi and Indranil Chatterjee, and later joined up by Nikhil Nehru, who quit McCann-Erickson last year as president. The three are now "equal partners" in the venture, which is hoping to get accreditation in the next six-eight months..

So what is it that INCommunications has to offer that will swing business in its favour? "Unanticipated experience to clients not restricted to advertising," explains Nehru, who has put in around 35 years in the industry. "We are not looking at advertising in terms of television, press, POP and films. We are here to serve the entire gamut of communication needs for our clients."

"Again, the size of the business is not a turn on for us," says Bakshi, who has been on the creative size of the business for close to 17 years working at agencies like O&M and Grey, besides Confluence. "We would go for clients that need to establish themselves in the marketplace. It is the challenge of growing a business and building a brand that is going to draw us in."

Unlike many other breakaway agencies INCommunications didn't start its journey on the back of a breakaway business. "No sugar daddies for us, please," proclaims Nehru. "It was a conscious decision on our part," explains Chatterjee, who is chief executive officer at INCommunications. "We didn't want to be dependent on a single piece of business. That is too restrictive in the long term. The only client who has moved in with us from Confluence is Insecticides India Ltd and we are grateful to the company for having so much faith in us," he adds.

Without divulging names, the INCommunications brass indicates it is seriously looking at a few categories to solicit business. These include food products, mobile telephony, batteries, personal grooming, the electronic media, fabric and jewellery, and it hopes to convert a few clients in the next couple of weeks. "One of our campaigns will break next month and by that time we would be ready to give you some more names, I am sure," says Bakshi. "So no names right now; I don't want to sound off competition," she adds.

But the three are clear about one thing. "We are going to be discriminatory in choosing our clients," says Bakshi. "We can't kill people for a Rs-5 margin," she grins. "On the other hand, growth is very important for us," Nehru states in no uncertain terms.

And the target? Rs 25-30 crore in terms of billing in the very first year of operations. "It's very very achievable," says Bakshi, adding, "just wait for our work to hit the media!" © 2003 agencyfaqs!