MUMBAI—GolinHarris has launched in India via an equal joint venture with Interpublic Group sibling LinOpinion.

The deal sees the Lowe Lintas subsidiary renamed LinOpinion GolinHarris. The firm will remain led by executive director Ameer Ismail.

While GolinHarris has had an affiliate relationship with LinOpinion for several years, the joint venture finally gives the firm a branded presence in one of Asia's key PR markets, after watching most of its rivals move in over the past decade.

GolinHarris global CEO Fred Cook admitted that the agency would have liked to enter India sooner, but claimed the firm's G4 model would give it a unique offering in the market.

"This was the first opportunity to actually put our brand here," Cook told the Holmes Report. "We would have liked to have done it sooner, but for a variety of reasons, we didn't. [LinOpinion is] very eager to adopt G4 — I think we'll have a unique offering that will allow us to cut through to clutter." 

Formed in 1994, LinOpinion has around 100 staffers across six offices in the country. The firm's parent advertising agency, Lowe, is noted for its long relationship with Unilever, a key GolinHarris client. 

Golin's Indian expansion follows the arrival of Jon Hughes as Asia-Pacific head of the firm earlier this year. Hughes told the Holmes Report that the agency is "bringing something new to India."

“Not only will clients benefit from our integrated model,” said Hughes. “They will also have access to our innovative g4 tools such as The Bridge, The Bright Collective and Brand Voice; and to our global experts across multiple practices and industries.”