VML has announced the appointment of Kalpesh Patankar, or Kal, as the industry knows him, as group chief creative officer, India. 

He moves from Leo Burnett Dubai, where he was chief creative officer. 

Based out of the agency’s Mumbai office, Patankar will report to Debbi Vandeven, global CCO, VML and Babita Baruah, CEO, VML India. 

He will work closely with Paul Nagy, APAC CCO, to enhance VML’s creative reputation in APAC and around the world.

This is Patankar's second stint with the agency. He was at VML from 2008 to 2021 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates as chief creative officer, MENA. 

Vandeven said, "We are looking forward to having Kal back our global creative team. His extraordinary brand skills — particularly in the area of craft — are second to none. Under his creative leadership, brand building and the level of craft will flourish in India. He has a unique ability to bring humanity and creativity together to deliver solutions for clients that transcend marketing."

Baruah added, “Kal's philosophy of 'Do good and put it out there' perfectly aligns with VML’s vision. His pursuit of creative excellence, combined with his proven ability to build high-performing teams, makes him the ideal leader to drive our creative vision across India."

Patankar said, "I have been considering returning to India for a long time, but I was waiting for the right moment, agency and team to do it with. I believe that moment is now, with the team at VML. Creativity has the power to transform businesses, and I'm excited to collaborate with teams across India and APAC to deliver exceptional results for our clients."