This Q2 dip contributed to flat efficiency for the primary half of the yr, with WPP reporting simply 0.1% LFL progress in India for H1 2025, down sharply from 8.1% in H1 2024. The corporate attributed the muted efficiency partly to the timing of main sporting occasions, which usually enhance promoting exercise.
In distinction, India grew 5.5% LFL in Q1 FY25, pushed by sturdy new enterprise momentum, notably at GroupM. Nonetheless, this was offset by a broader 3.8% LFL decline in WPP’s “Remainder of World” phase, led by a 5.7% drop within the Asia Pacific area.
The Indian downturn mirrored broader world challenges. WPP’s Q2 world income much less pass-through prices fell 5.8% LFL to £2.54 billion, whereas whole income declined 4% LFL to £3.42 billion.
For the primary half of 2025, world income much less pass-through prices dropped 4.3% LFL to £5.03 billion. Complete reported income for the interval stood at £6.66 billion, down 2.4% LFL.
India’s relative stability helped cushion broader challenges within the “Remainder of World” class, which declined 5.4% LFL in H1 and 6.8% in Q2. The area contains each high-growth and unstable markets. China, a significant contributor, noticed a 16.6% drop in H1 and 15.9% in Q2, pushed by shopper task losses and protracted macroeconomic pressures.Outgoing CEO Mark Learn acknowledged the tough working surroundings. “It has been a difficult first half given pressures on shopper spending and a slower new enterprise surroundings,” he stated. “We’ve got, nevertheless, made important progress on the repositioning of WPP Media, simplifying its organisational mannequin to extend effectiveness and cut back prices. In the meantime, the acquisition of InfoSum, the launch of Open Intelligence, and the continued adoption of WPP Open all strengthen our knowledge and know-how capabilities.”Cindy Rose will take over as CEO from Learn on September 1 and is anticipated to guide a strategic evaluate of WPP’s world operations and capital allocation.
“The Board is declaring an interim dividend of seven.5p forward of a evaluate of the technique and future capital allocation coverage which will probably be led by Cindy Rose, who succeeds me as CEO on 1 September,” Learn added. “The precedence is to drive sustainable progress supported by an acceptable degree of monetary flexibility whereas balancing returns to shareholders.”
WPP’s India operations, led by businesses comparable to GroupM (now restructured as WPP Media), Ogilvy, and VML, stay a strategic a part of its world portfolio. In Could, the corporate launched WPP Media, changing GroupM, with a renewed concentrate on AI-powered, data-driven media providers.
WPP reaffirmed its full-year outlook, projecting a 3% to five% decline in like-for-like income much less pass-through prices and a 50 to 175 foundation level drop in headline working margins.
Underneath Learn’s management, WPP laid out formidable progress plans for India. In 2023, the corporate introduced its intention to double income from the market over 5 years and rent 7,000 to eight,000 individuals. Already its fifth-largest and considered one of its fastest-growing markets, India was focused to turn out to be considered one of WPP’s high three globally by 2028.
