MUMBAI: VivaKi India has announced the creation of VivaKi Specialist Services (VSS).

This entity will become a hub of several service units that are already part of Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG); they will combine with Solutions Integrated.

Says VivaKi country chair--India Srikant Sastri, "VivaKi is an accelerator and aggregator of the media, digital and marketing services we offer clients."

The integrated hub will comprise Enhance (experiential and retail/trade marketing); Xpanse Asia (rural marketing); and Navia and Vector (out-of-home units). They will continue to be managed by their respective heads who will currently report to VivaKi country chair--India Srikant Sastri.

Solutions Integrated executive vice president Barinder Bahadur Mathur has moved to the hub and will partner with both Kaushik and Sandip, to develop new businesses and maintain commercial compliance.

Says Starcom MediaVest Group - India chairman CVL Srinivas, "Aggregating and scaling the specialty service structure will benefit clients and help them get closer to consumers in more ways than before. SMG created these units over the years, which are today brands in their own right. This realignment will help these units expand further within the VivaKi community. The mainstream media planning companies will continue to work closely with these units."

The small town and rural marketing arm [Xpanse Asia] will, continue to be led by Sandip Bansal as its country head.

The retail/trade marketing and experiential marketing unit [Enhance] and out of home companies [Navia and Vector] will continue to be headed by Kaushik Chakravorty as the chief operating officer.