Kanika Bains has been appointed Vice President & Head – People & Culture at MSL India, part of Publicis Groupe. She joins the agency with close to two decades of experience across talent acquisition, human resources and people leadership, with previous leadership roles at Edelman and Reliance Brands.
MSL India confirmed Bains’ appointment in a recent update, welcoming her to its talent team. The agency also announced the appointment of Nikita Bhagat as Associate Director, Human Resources. MSL said the appointments would bring new perspectives to its talent function as the organisation continues to focus on workplace culture and employee experience.
Before joining MSL India, Bains was with Edelman, where she served as Vice President – Talent Acquisition. Her role involved leading talent acquisition activities, building hiring strategies and working on people-related initiatives for the communications firm.
Bains’ career also includes a leadership role at Reliance Brands Limited, where she served as Head – Talent Acquisition. Her experience at Reliance Brands added to her background in managing talent acquisition and hiring functions across a large business environment.
Earlier in her career, Bains spent several years with Paytm, progressing through multiple talent acquisition roles. She served as Manager – Talent Acquisition, Senior Manager – Talent Acquisition, Assistant General Manager – Talent Acquisition and Deputy General Manager during her tenure with the company.
Her earlier professional experience includes a role as Senior Executive – Corporate HR at 94.3 MY FM – Synergy Media Entertainment Ltd., part of the Dainik Bhaskar Group. She also worked as an HR Executive at Times OOH and began her earlier career with Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd., the company behind The Times of India, where she worked in human resources.
Bains’ professional background has therefore covered several areas of HR, including talent acquisition, corporate HR, employer branding and people leadership. Her career has also included experience across media, consumer businesses, digital companies and professional services.
In her new role at MSL India, Bains will lead the People & Culture function. The appointment comes as MSL continues to operate as part of Publicis Groupe’s public relations and integrated communications network. MSL India provides services spanning public relations, digital communications, reputation management, public affairs and related communications capabilities.
MSL’s global organisation lists India among its markets and identifies Amit Misra as CEO, MSL South Asia and South East Asia. The agency operates across multiple Indian cities, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Pune.
Bains has also been active in discussions around talent acquisition and the changing role of HR. In a 2023 episode of The Shape of Work podcast, she discussed recruitment practices, interview processes, hiring bias and the use of data and analytics in talent acquisition.
Her appointment at MSL India adds another senior HR leader to the agency’s talent function, with her previous experience spanning recruitment leadership and broader people-related responsibilities. As Vice President & Head – People & Culture, she will now take on a leadership role within MSL India’s people function.
