Storyboard18 | Dentsu's Mumbai office "raided" by IT dept

Source: ShutterStock

The Mumbai office of Dentsu International was raided by the Income Tax department today, industry sources have confirmed to Storyboard18. Employees of Denstu were also asked to work from home until further notice, as per sources.

Senior advertising executives familiar with the matter added that the raid on Dentsu's Mumbai office is allegedly related to one of its clients, a global smartphone brand that the agency closely works with that was under the scrutiny of the IT department.

Sources have also confirmed that other clients have started calling the agency's executives. Agency officials are informing their clients that it was "a routine check."

Storyboard18 has reached out to Dentsu International with queries.

Dentsu's woes continue? 

In 2020, Dentsu announced it would cut the number of global brands from 160 to six as part of a major transformation of the Tokyo-based group’s international operations. The group has seen a series of senior-level exits in the past year and a half.

But things had been looking up for Dentsu when one of its campaigns went on a winning spree at major international award shows including the Cannes Lions. The agency also won the coveted Agency of the Year title.

(This is a developing story, check back for more updates)