Hemant Shringy: “I Believe In Instincts Rooted in Rigour and Exploration”
Appointed chief creative officer at FCB Ulka in May 2024, Hemant has been supporting offices across the country alongside the leadership team. With more than two decades of experience across brands such as P&G's Ariel, Whisper, Gillette, Visa, WhatsApp and eBay, he has won numerous prestigious awards from Cannes Lions, AdFest, SpikesAsia, New York Festival, Andy’s, Effies, and WARC. Hemant is also known for bringing home India’s first White Pencil at D&AD Impact awards and his work for Ariel’s #ShareTheLoad has been ranked first place for two years in a row at WARC top 100 campaigns.
In this interview, Hemant speaks with LBB’s Sunna Coleman about the opportunities in India, bridging gaps between human insights and tech, and how his young daughter inspires him to stay curious.
LBB> Tell us about how you got involved with FCB Group India’s Creative Council. What was your reaction and why did this responsibility feel right for you to take on?
Hemant> Being part of the Creative Council is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the incredible work we do every day. At FCB, creativity is at the heart of everything we do, driving us to develop innovative solutions. It’s about pushing boundaries and finding creative solutions that truly make a difference for our clients. This responsibility felt like a natural fit because it allows me to collaborate, learn and drive impactful ideas that help brands grow in tangible ways.
LBB> What’s first on your agenda in your mission to develop ground breaking work that resonates with audiences?
Hemant> My focus is on creating work that is insightful, meaningful and inspires action. I’m particularly excited about the potential of blending deep human insights with tech, data and new-age solutions – areas that often feel like separate worlds. My goal is to bridge that gap and bring these together in a way that resonates with audiences. The first step in this mission is building a team that’s diverse in thought and unified in vision. For anyone aiming to make a real impact, there’s no better place than this and no better time than now.
LBB> What are some of the creative challenges that brands in India are currently facing?
Hemant> Great brands are tenacious and resilient, and with the right minds shaping them, they can overcome any challenge. There are a lot of opportunities for brands today – tech and mediums like never before, data like never before, and a digital landscape that is so vast that you can target more sharply than ever before. The challenge is filtering out the noise and sharply identifying your problem statement. Because with every possible answer available to you, what’s crucial is that you are asking the right question.
LBB> The team is made up of incredibly talented individuals who are diverse in their backgrounds and expertise. What are you excited to bring to the table and what role would you like to play?
Hemant> Delicious Sindhi food! On a serious note, I’m excited to bring an open mind and a clear viewpoint. I believe in instincts rooted in rigour and exploration. With such a talented and diverse team, there will always be countless possibilities – and the challenge is to identify the best one. I want to foster an environment where ideas flow freely, diverse perspectives are valued and we arrive at the most effective solutions through a thoughtful yet agile process. And yes, it can happen with speed and efficiency!
LBB> What do you most love about the Indian market?
Hemant> Lots of things, but the one thing that is unique to us is culture. There are an equal number of challenges and issues you can unearth in culture as you discover answers and solutions to them. And I love how we don’t just follow and celebrate it, but shape it along the way.
LBB> What is one piece of advice that you have learned in your career that you would like to share?
Hemant> I’ve had the opportunity to work with some amazingly enlightened people who have shaped me personally and professionally. A cumulative learning from that I would like to highlight is that we are in the business of moving people – moving them emotionally, intellectually, and physically. Moving them to think, feel, and do. And if anything we do leaves them cold, that piece has failed.
LBB> Lastly, how do you personally stay creative?
Hemant> What’s been especially inspiring and creatively enriching has been spending time with my three-year-old daughter. It’s amazing there is so much curiosity and sense of wonder that we have unlearned along the way. Spending time with her just unlocks some of that for me.
