Famous by Innovation - feat. Mithila Saraf (CEO, Famous Innovations)

In this episode of The Indian AvGeek, Mithila Saraf, CEO of Famous Innovations, joins in as she takes us from her scrappy start in advertising to leading one of India’s most dynamic agencies. We unpack how early challenges, bold growth strategies, and a passion for true partnerships have shaped her leadership and fuelled Famous’s success.

Surviving the Scrappy Phase: Hear firsthand how those early “no salary, no clients” days at Famous Innovations shaped Mithila’s leadership philosophy and business acumen. She reveals how working alongside industry great Raj Kamble during the agency’s most vulnerable period taught her the fundamentals of entrepreneurial resilience.

The Boardroom Moment: Mithila traces her remarkable journey to the CEO chair - managing growth across 50+ brands, including Raymond, Mahindra, Titan, Van Heusen, Budweiser, and Absolut.

Leadership at Scale: With Famous Innovations now spanning three offices (Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi) and nearly 150 people. She discusses the unique challenge of maintaining boutique quality while scaling rapidly. She explains her philosophy of capping office sizes at 75 people before opening new locations.

The Art of Saying No: In a brutally honest discussion about pitch red flags, Mithila reveals how Famous Innovations has learned to decline business that doesn’t align with their values. From LinkedIn pitch calls to unrealistic client expectations, she shares insights on protecting agency culture while pursuing growth.

Industry Vertical Deep-Dive: Discover which sectors are fueling Famous Innovations’ growth, including their recent standout work for OPPO’s Reno13 Series campaign featuring Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ishaan Khatter, and Vedang Raina - a campaign that captured the “Live in the Moment” philosophy through Bollywood nostalgia.

The Future of AdTech: Mithila shares her perspective on how social media, video content, and emerging q-commerce solutions are reshaping advertising budgets and client expectations. She discusses advising brands on investment strategies across fast-growing digital channels.

The L’Oréal Pitch Chronicles: Get exclusive insights into a recent major client win, as Mithila walks through what differentiated Famous Innovations’ pitch in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Beyond Advertising Metrics: Learn how Famous Innovations tracks client relationships that go “beyond advertising” - from business partnership indicators to managing scope creep while maintaining profitability.

Independent Agency Wisdom: Mithila offers candid advice for other independent agencies looking to scale, sharing lessons learned from Famous Innovations’ journey from startup to South Asia Independent Agency of the Year winner for eight consecutive years.

The AI Revolution: Discover why Mithila believes artificial intelligence will be the single biggest disruptor to the advertising business and how agencies need to prepare for this transformation.

Breaking Into Modern Advertising: In a powerful closing segment, Mithila addresses young professionals trying to break into an industry that’s no longer “the coolest gig in town” - offering practical advice on building careers in today’s evolved advertising landscape.

This episode delivers rare insights into building and scaling an independent creative agency in modern India, combining business strategy, creative leadership, and entrepreneurial wisdom from one of the industry’s most respected young leaders.

Mithila - @mithilasaraf
Vishal - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠