Amitesh Rao on Leo’s growth, AI, and the year ahead

As Leo approaches its first anniversary, chief executive officer Amitesh Rao is clear that the agency’s first year cannot be measured by numbers alone. While business growth has been strong, he argues that the more meaningful story lies in how Leo has translated its founding vision into the way it works, thinks and creates every day.

“If you look at it purely from a growth or financial perspective, the year has been very, very good. But what has been far more fascinating is the journey of actually taking our vision to market,” Rao says.

That vision, articulated at Leo’s launch as “HI into AI” or human intelligence into artificial intelligence, was never meant to be a slogan. Over the past year, Rao says, the real work lay in embedding that thinking into the agency’s everyday way of working.

The impact, Rao says, became visible not just in internal workflows but in the work, Leo put into the market and in how it pitched to new clients. “It shaped our narrative. It shaped the way we went to market. That became our new energy,” he says.

“The biggest high is when someone’s mother calls and says, 'I saw this work.' That validation is bigger than any trophy.”

Crucially, a significant share of growth came from existing clients expanding their business with the agency. “That’s always a good barometer of how healthy your product is, how healthy your talent is and how healthy your business model is,” Rao says.

Its client portfolio includes the likes of PepsiCo, Birla Opus, ACKO, Flipkart, Spotify, and Sebamed. 

Leo’s client additions spanned a wide cross section of sectors, from emerging internet economy players to infrastructure, automotive and legacy FMCG brands. Growth came across geographies too, from north, south and west India, with fresh traction emerging from the east.

Despite broader industry consolidation, including changes at holding company level, Rao insists Leo’s approach to clients has remained unchanged. “Our story is our story. Our strengths are our strengths,” he says. “Industry frameworks changing have not influenced our product or our narrative even one degree.”

A focus on sports

As brands prepare for a packed calendar of sporting events, from WPL, IPL, India vs New Zealand, and the men’s T20 world cup, Rao sees no dip in appetite for cricket as a platform.

If anything, he believes interest is rising, even in highly cluttered environments. “Cricket still offers unparalleled reach,” he says. “We’re seeing early-stage brands looking for fast awareness spikes and legacy brands looking for mass storytelling.”

Beyond cricket, Rao points to growing traction in niche properties such as esports and pickleball, as well as the increasing use of non-cricketing sports personalities across athletics, badminton and chess.

“Sport is not just a media platform anymore,” he says. “It’s a value that brands want to associate with.”

The work

AI, meanwhile, has become inseparable from Leo’s creative workflow. Rao resists framing work as being led by artificial intelligence. Initially, the gains were in speed and efficiency. Now, Rao says, AI is shaping insight, strategy, testing and thinking, making the work not just faster but better.

View this post on Instagram

“It’s entering our workflow whether clients ask for it or not,” he says.

When it comes to what Leo will not do, Rao’s answer is philosophical rather than categorical. “We want to do work that changes something in the world,” he says. And for such work, the biggest reward isn’t awards.

“The biggest high is when someone’s mother calls and says, I saw this work,” Rao says. “That validation is bigger than any trophy.”

The year ahead

Looking ahead to 2026, Rao is realistic about global uncertainty. Macroeconomic volatility, disrupted supply chains and cautious corporate decision-making are all part of the landscape. Still, he remains bullish on India.

“Fundamentals of this market are very strong,” he says. “I don’t see the forward movement of brands and businesses in India being interrupted.”

Internally, Rao believes morale is less about external conditions and more about daily intent. “You walk into office with a purpose, an ambition, a hunger,” he says. “When you have that, it’s easier to navigate uncertainties outside your sphere of influence.”

Perhaps most revealing is how Rao thinks about leadership itself. Asked what he would do differently; he rejects the idea of arriving with answers. “I’m going to treat this year like I don’t know anything,” he says. Experience, he believes, should sit quietly in the background. Curiosity must lead. “What’s new? What’s happening? What do I have to learn?”