Cheil X names Souvik Datta as National Creative Director

Cheil X, part of the Cheil SWA group, has appointed Souvik Datta as its new National Creative Director, further strengthening its creative leadership team. Datta joins from McCann Worldgroup, where he currently heads the creative mandate for the West and previously led operations for the North region.

At Cheil X, Datta will co-lead the creative function with Amit Nandwani, who continues in his role as National Creative Director. Both will report to Vikash Chemjong, Chief Creative Officer of Cheil SWA Group.

Datta brings over 23 years of experience across agencies such as McCann, Lowe, TBWA, and Contract. Over the years, he has led creative efforts for a range of major brands including Hero MotoCorp, Nestlé (Maggi), Domino’s, Reckitt, and Asian Paints. His campaigns have received both national and international recognition and have contributed to brand and business transformation.

Jitender Dabas, CEO of Cheil X, said, “I’ve worked with Souvik and know just how good he is at steering big brands and businesses. Whether it was Hero, Maggi, Domino’s, Asian Paints, or Reckitt, I have seen the real-world impact his work has had on businesses. He is someone who champions ideas that build brand meaning at scale not just through big TVCs but through ideas that create impact every moment across the consumer journey. I am looking forward to his joining us at this pivotal time for Cheil X”.

Nandwani, who remains in national creative leadership, brings over two decades of experience from agencies like Leo Burnett, Ogilvy, McCann, and DDB Mudra. His portfolio spans brands such as Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Iodex, Star Sports, Philips, and Amazon. He has also directed over 20 commercials.

“With Souvik and Amit at the helm of our creative function, we’re bringing together two leaders who’ve helped shape iconic campaigns for some of the biggest Indian and global brands. They’ve led large teams, built brands across categories, and bring complementary strengths to the table.”

In addition to Datta’s appointment, Cheil X announced an expanded role for Rajit Gupta, who currently leads creative operations for the Mumbai office. Gupta will now also oversee the agency’s brand experience and design capabilities across India, integrating spatial, experiential, and environmental design into its offerings.

Vikash Chemjong, CCO of Cheil SWA Group, said, “It’s said that great advertising moves people. What’s also true, is that great advertising people, also moves people! And with Jeetu coming in, talent has begun to move steadily towards Cheil X. The first of course being Souvik. And one just has to look at the breadth of his work to understand the creative flair.

With him teaming up with our rock-solid Amit Nandwani and expanded role for Rajit Gupta, Cheil X is well on its way to become a force that’ll be difficult to ignore in this new-age advertising landscape”.

Dabas added, “We’re building an agency designed to solve business problems through creativity. Our focus is on ideas that impact every moment—ideas that move beyond campaigns to show up consistently across platforms, experiences, and touchpoints. With our new creative teams driving different dimensions of our creative ambition, Cheil X is entering its most exciting chapter yet.”