Havas to launch Shortcut Shobiz India in early September

New Delhi: Havas Group is set to expand its experiential marketing footprint in India with the launch of Shortcut Shobiz India in early September, marking the entry of French experiential agency Shortcut Events into the Indian market through its partnership with Shobiz. The development was announced by Christophe Pinguet, Co-founder of Shortcut, in a LinkedIn post following a visit to Mumbai, where he met the leadership teams of Havas India and Shobiz. "We are excited to announce that Shortcut Shobiz India will be launched in early September, ready to design and deliver exceptional experiences for luxury and lifestyle brands in this key strategic region," Pinguet wrote. He said the new venture would combine "French savoir-faire, global creative excellence, Indian craftsmanship, and a shared vision" to create experiences for clients across the luxury and lifestyle sectors. According to Pinguet, the foundations for the collaboration were laid during a week of meetings in Mumbai involving Shortcut, Shobiz and Havas India. In another LinkedIn post, he described the initiative as "a rare day in a career" and said Shortcut Events would work alongside Sameer Tobaccowala, Rana Barua, Farah Lauren Khan and the Havas India team to establish "a new international best practice" for clients. Shortcut Events became part of Havas Group in 2021 after the communications network acquired a stake in the Paris-headquartered agency. Founded in 1997 by Christophe Pinguet and Lionel Laval, Shortcut specialises in brand experiences, stage design, digital content and image, with a strong portfolio in luxury, beauty, fashion, corporate and institutional events. For Havas India, the move deepens the evolution of Shobiz, the experiential agency it acquired in 2019. The acquisition brought one of India's largest event and experiential companies into the Havas Creative Network, expanding the group's capabilities beyond advertising into live experiences and brand activations. Since then, Havas has steadily expanded Shobiz's offerings. In 2022, the agency unveiled a new brand identity reflecting its integration into the Havas ecosystem, while in 2024 it introduced Shobiz Exhibits, a dedicated exhibitions and trade show practice. Earlier this year, Havas Life Mumbai and Shobiz also launched a specialised experiential offering focused on healthcare and pharmaceutical brands. The upcoming launch of Shortcut Shobiz India is expected to strengthen Havas' experiential capabilities by bringing Shortcut's expertise in luxury and lifestyle experiences to one of the world's fastest-growing markets for brand-led live experiences. Pinguet said he would return to Mumbai in about eight weeks for the official launch event, describing India as a "key strategic region" for Shortcut's international expansion.