INNOCEAN India & Canvas Worldwide win brand comms mandate for UPES

INNOCEAN India, along with Canvas Worldwide India, has secured the integrated communications mandate for UPES University. Under the arrangement, INNOCEAN India will handle creative and strategic communication, while Canvas Worldwide India will manage media strategy and execution.

The partnership will cover brand-building and campaign-led initiatives. The initial phase will focus on developing an integrated campaign approach for 2026.

UPES operates in a competitive higher education market and is looking to streamline its communication across platforms and stakeholder groups. The agencies will work through a unified structure aligning strategy, creative and media.

For INNOCEAN India, the mandate adds to its non-automotive portfolio, which includes brands such as Hamdard, Sony, KEI Cables and IFFCO Tokio.

Commenting on the appointment, Bharat Kharbanda, chief business officer, GUS Global Services, said: “As our communication requirements continue to evolve, it was important for us to work with a partner that could bring structure and integration to the process. INNOCEAN India demonstrated a clear understanding of our objectives and how to approach them cohesively, which informed our decision.”

Robinh Sharma, marketing director, UPES University, said: “As we look ahead to 2026, our focus is on clearly articulating what differentiates UPES as a university, from our academic offerings to our strong industry integration and leadership positioning. INNOCEAN India’s integrated approach will support us in sharpening and amplifying this narrative.”

Jae Ho Yoo, managing director & CEO, INNOCEAN India, said: “This mandate aligns with our strategy to expand and strengthen our growth business beyond automotive. With UPES, we will leverage our proven strengths as a unified Marketing OS to deliver sharp target and market insights, while providing fully integrated solutions that translate strategy into measurable impact. We are committed to deploying our full capabilities to ensure that every communication initiative is insight-driven, cohesive, and strategically grounded in the institution’s long-term vision.”

Santosh Kumar, chief operating officer, INNOCEAN India, said: “This partnership is about moving beyond siloed campaign delivery to a truly integrated model. Together with Canvas Worldwide India, we will focus on building a unified planning and execution structure for UPES that ensures sharper media alignment, stronger creative impact, and sustained momentum as we roll out the 2026 roadmap.”