S4 Capital's Monks has announced the appointment of Rajat Mendhi as head of planning, Monks India, effective immediately.

Mendhi will lead strategic planning and cultural insight development, bringing globally recognised expertise in shaping transformative campaigns that deliver both cultural impact and business growth. 

He will work closely with Ketan Desai, managing director, Monks India; Sandipan Bhattacharyya, chief creative officer; and the agency’s newly hired head of media, Niranjan Singh, as Monks continues to expand its integrated capabilities across strategy, creative, media, and data in the Indian market.

Mendhi is the founder and chef at Bombay Picnics. His last full-time job in the agency front was at BBDO India, where he was EVP planning. Mendhi had the longest-running stint at BBDO India, spanning 7 and a half years. 

Desai said, "Rajat's appointment represents a significant strengthening of our strategic capabilities in India. He has a proven ability to turn cultural conversations into business movements. As Head of Planning, he brings the rare combination of cultural intelligence and commercial insight that helps brands thrive in the Indian market.”

Mendhi added, "Advertising is undergoing a profound transformation - creativity today is inseparable from technology and data. At Monks, this convergence isn’t a hurdle; it’s the engine of innovation and forward momentum. That ethos aligns with how I approach strategy: evolving with the times while anchored in human truth. Joining Monks India is an exciting opportunity to shape how brands connect with people and culture, and thrive in a fast-changing landscape, even as communication itself redefines its own future."

In a career spanning over two decades, he has also worked with Lowe Lintas and Partners.