Kanika Bains Takes Charge as VP & Head People & Culture for MSL India
CE DESK 
Publicis Groupe has named seasoned human resources professional Kanika Bains as Vice President & Head – People & Culture for its strategic communications firm, MSL India. In this national role, Kanika Bains will direct the agency’s people agenda, organizational design, talent acquisition, leadership development, and employee experience programs.
Kanika brings nearly twenty years of comprehensive experience in talent strategy, employer branding, performance systems, and human resources business partnering across top communications agencies and corporate enterprises. Prior to joining Publicis Groupe, she served as Vice President – Talent Acquisition at Edelman, leading hiring operations across India and driving key leadership searches across Asia-Pacific markets including Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
Earlier in her career, Kanika served as Head – Talent Acquisition at Reliance Brands Limited, managing the recruitment Centre of Excellence (CoE) and leading digital HR modernization initiatives to improve the hiring journey. She also spent more than ten years at fintech leader Paytm, advancing to Deputy General Manager – Talent Acquisition to oversee hiring for core product, business, and expansion units. Her earlier career includes corporate HR assignments with 94.3 MY FM (Dainik Bhaskar Group), Times OOH, and Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd. (The Times Group).
Her appointment comes as MSL India continues to expand its creative communications and PR consulting capabilities across key markets. Bains’ extensive track record in building high-performing teams and fostering positive workplace cultures positions her to drive talent excellence across the organization.
