MUMBAI — Indian PR consultancy SPAG is aiming to diversify beyond its healthcare roots with the launch of a new technology practice headed by associate VP Siddarth Kumar. 

Technology specialist Kumar joins after previously working at numerous agencies, including Six Degrees BCW, Cohn & Wolfe and Comma Consulting, along with in-house roles. 

He leads a team of eight across Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore, reflecting the technology business that SPAG has built in recent months, including existing medtech assignments from its core healthcare offering.

Other tech clients include AliveCor, Octro and ODA. Several assignments include multi-market duties across Asia, said SPAG managing partner Aman Gupta, capitalising on the firm's expansion into Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. 

"The idea is to extend our specialist approach to the tech sector, looking at the crossroads of communications and advocacy," said Gupta. "We will look to grow tech in other Asian markets, especially Singapore."

SPAG now has a team of eight in Singapore and is close to confirming market leaders in Malaysia and the Philippines. At around $5m in revenue, Gupta believes that geographic and practice expansion will underpin the firm's goal of reaching $10-12m by 2025.

In addition to the firm's existing Asian footprint, other target markets include Indonesia and Taiwan, said Gupta, bearing in mind SPAG's focus on healthcare, technology, media advocacy, public affairs and digital. 

"After 2025, we'll look at going global, into Europe, the US and more evolved markets," said Gupta, noting that sustained investment had helped the SPAG grow three-fold outside India this year.