New Delhi, Delhi, India, July 2026 — In one of the most significant leadership appointments in India’s independent agency landscape this year, Hashtag Orange, the digitally led integrated marketing and discovery agency, has strengthened its leadership team by appointing Shekhar Sharma as Senior Partner – Growth.
With over three decades of experience, primarily in the digital ecosystem, Shekhar brings deep expertise in media strategy, digital transformation, programmatic advertising, advertising technology (AdTech), and integrated growth solutions. Throughout his career, he has not only witnessed but also helped shape the evolution of India’s digital marketing landscape.
Shekhar spent several years within WPP’s media ecosystem, where he played a key role in consolidating the performance marketing and programmatic practices across GroupM. He later took on the role of Managing Partner at MediaCom, one of WPP’s flagship media agencies, leading key client portfolios and driving business growth.
Prior to WPP, Shekhar held leadership positions at two of India’s largest media houses—The Times of India and India Today where he was instrumental in their early expansion into digital media. He continues to advise and consult with several digital-first platforms, with a focus on emerging areas such as Connected TV (CTV), creative technology, and other next-generation digital innovations.
“The depth of Shekhar’s experience is exactly what makes this move significant. Shekhar is not a routine senior hire, he is one of the more recognised names in Indian media leadership, with a track record of managing large-scale investments for global and Indian conglomerates alike. His understanding of evolving consumer behaviour, digital ecosystems, and emerging opportunities aligns strongly with our vision of building future-ready marketing solutions. At Hashtag Orange, he joins at a pivotal moment as we scale our footprint across premium brands in beauty, fashion, food, lifestyle, and D2C.” said Mukesh Vij, Founder, Hashtag Orange.
In his new role, Shekhar will lead the agency’s media and growth charter in its entirety – spanning media strategy, performance marketing, social platforms, and emerging discovery disciplines. His mandate will be to bring the same data-led, ROI-driven rigour that defined his work with global and Indian conglomerates to Hashtag Orange’s next phase of growth.
Speaking on his move, Shekhar Sharma Senior Partner-Growth at Hashtag Orange said, “Hashtag Orange’s entrepreneurial mindset and AI-integrated approach are what drew me to this opportunity. India is poised to become one of the world’s most dynamic markets for Connected TV and digital advertising, creating significant opportunities for brands to reimagine how they engage with consumers. I look forward to contributing to Hashtag Orange’s next phase of growth by helping brands harness the power of digital transformation, programmatic advertising, influencer ecosystems, and connected experiences to drive measurable business outcomes.”
About Hashtag Orange
Hashtag Orange is an independent, digitally-first integrated marketing and discovery agency with 150+ specialists across strategy, creative, media, technology, and performance marketing. The agency combines data-driven strategy with human insight and agentic AI-led solutions, delivering integrated campaigns across social media, performance marketing, and discovery channels including SEO, AEO, AIO, and GEO. Hashtag Orange partners with leading brands including Taco Bell, HeroMotoCorp, LPU, Swiggy, Redington Group, Honeywell, GMR, Zuno Insurance, Aparna Group, Dr. Reddy’s, and Nestle.
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