Brands must move beyond Hindi and English, embrace India's full cultural spectrum: Tata Motors' Shubhranshu Singh
Congratulations on being named one of Forbes' 50 Most Influential CMOs globally. How does it feel?
It's a deeply humbling moment. This isn't just a personal achievement; it's recognition of India's growing stature in the global brand and marketing ecosystem. The list includes leaders from Apple, Meta, Google, Coca-Cola, AB InBev, Ikea, and LVMH. To be featured alongside them is an honour, but more importantly, it signals that Indian creativity is now being taken seriously at the highest levels. We're not just contributing volume or cost-efficiency, we're offering cultural imagination, emotional intelligence and strategic depth.
Also read: China's shadow looms large as Tata Motors, JLR flag EV supply chain risk
It's an apex platform formed after the merger of Cannes Lions and Effie Worldwide, a not-for-profit foundation focused on expanding marketing inclusion, education and capability building. It brings together the best minds from both effectiveness and creativity. I'm proud to represent both India and the broader Global South. The idea is to ensure that more marketers from underrepresented regions have access not only to recognition but also to resources, confidence and community.
I want to create pipelines of access, not just for awards but for learning, confidence-building and capability development. India alone has nearly a billion content creators with smartphones. But we need to equip them with the tools, training and trust to scale. I'm hoping to work with institutions to offer microlearning modules, bootcamps and mentorship that build T-shaped marketers—deep in craft, broad in digital and data fluency.
For me, Cannes 2025 boiled down to six Cs—Convergence, Content, Creative Intelligence, Creators, Commerce, and Cadence. These aren't just trends in advertising; they're redefining how brands operate in culture, media, and even diplomacy. I spoke at the CNN CMO roundtable alongside peers from AXA, Juniper Networks and Warner Bros. Discovery. The key thread was trust—how to build it in a fragmented, noisy world where everyone is a creator and everything is content.
India's strength is undeniable. We are a mobile-first nation—850 million smartphone users, digital ad spends poised to hit $25 billion by 2025 and a deeply emotional storytelling culture. Short-form video, vernacular content and influencer discovery are becoming powerful tools. But what's broken is the fragmentation —too much content, not enough coherence. We suffer from a fatigue of sameness and an underserving of regional markets, which are costly and complex to serve.
We're not just ready—we're already there. But we now need to show up intentionally and unapologetically. India has the advantage of digital leapfrogging—we're native to platforms like YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, Moj, Josh. And we've always done jugaad innovation—low budget, high emotion and often high impact. Now, the world is watching. We must stop seeing ourselves as a production hub. We are a creative powerhouse, and we must own that story.
Also read: Tata Motors plans a premium push as competition intensifies in EV space
That balance is crucial. You can't build a national brand today without understanding the diversity of languages, cultural codes and aspirations. Tier 2, 3 and rural consumers are not 'lesser" or 'slower"—they're simply different. They're value-conscious, but increasingly platform-savvy, content-aware and creatively expressive. Brands must move beyond Hindi+English and embrace the full cultural spectrum. India's story cannot be told in one language.
Both. AI and automation are necessary, they give scale, speed and precision. But without human insight, creativity risks becoming commoditized. We need AI to assist, not replace, creativity. Technology should scale imagination, not flatten it. India's edge is its emotional bandwidth, we must protect that while embracing the new.
Absolutely. A brand is not a campaign—it's what you do, not what you say. At Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles, we're dealing with people's livelihoods—truckers, fleet owners, transporters. Trust, uptime and respect matter far more than flash. Branding, in that sense, is about living your purpose across the value chain—product, service, community. That mindset needs to become cultural, not just a function of the marketing department.
Also read: Tata Motors' headcount, senior pay hikes squeezed as sales dip in FY25
First, they must marry data with storytelling. Don't build for platforms, build for people, on platforms. Learn performance tools, yes, but don't lose the poetry. Second, understand that resonance matters more than virality. Third, build consistency—brands are remembered through repetition with variation, not novelty for novelty's sake. And finally, seek global relevance without losing local sensitivity. Our time has come, but we must show up with both confidence and cultural awareness.
Simple truths. Know your consumer's hopes, fears and contexts. Be distinctive, not just different. Build fame, fluency and feeling. The best marketing gives you goosebumps—not clicks. If it doesn't move you, it won't move the market.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Deccan Herald
27 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
When sambar met caviar
The Indian diaspora has become a lot more affluent, and they are seeking luxurious experiences, which include dining on exquisitely created and presented food from their home country.
United News of India
an hour ago
- United News of India
GST rationalisation impact on inflation depends on the effect on CPI components: Bank of Baroda Economist
Chennai, Aug 16 (UNI) The impact of the proposed rationalisation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on inflation would depend on the effect on the consumer price index (CPI) components, said a top economist at Bank of Baroda. He also said the impact on investment will be driven by the final effect on consumption. If consumption increases, it can spur more investment in specific products. The Indian government has announced the idea of having two major GST slabs viz., 5% (merit) and 18% (standard). 'The highest slab of 28% would be abolished and all goods and services in this bracket moved to the 18% rate. 99% of goods in the 12% rate will move to 5%. The balance 1% would go to 18%. The existing 40% rate would hold for tobacco and other sin goods. The exempted and special rates of 0.25% and 3% rate goods would remain unchanged,' Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist said. 'The impact on inflation would depend on how various components of the CPI index are impacted by the new rates. While it has been projected as lowering the tax burden there can be a tendency for inflation to come down. But the extent will depend on the individual tax rates,' Sabnavis said. However, at the micro level, any reduction in GST as it is expected for goods like hair oil, toothbrush, pencils and others may not exactly increase consumption but will release resources of households that can be spent on other products and services. 'Impact on investment will be driven by the final effect on consumption. If consumption increases, it can spur more investment in specific products,' Sabnavis remarked. Having fewer slabs certainly makes the system simpler and leads to better compliance and removal of ambiguity. But it needs to be seen whether or not the final effect is tax neutral. If movement of goods across slabs provides a net gain on the fiscal side, then it would not change much from the consumption point of view, he said. 'On the whole it has been projected to provide support to consumption which is positive for the consumer goods segments. The ultimate impact has to be gauged from the point of view of fiscal impact given that any restructuring has to be a zero-sum game – if the consumer is to gain, there has to be some let off on the budget. This however, can get corrected once the economy grows at a faster rate in the coming years,' Sabnavis said. The GST Council is to meet in Sept-Oct and deliberate on this proposal. The compensation cess is to be phased out and it is possible that goods and services with 40% slab would take in this effect. UNI VJ GNK
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
"No agreements that would go against the farmers": Shivraj Singh Chouhan on US's demand amid tariff talks
Live Events New Delhi: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday firmly stated that India will not enter into any agreements that could harm the interests of its farmers, emphasising the paramount importance of safeguarding their rights amidst ongoing trade talks with the US, especially regarding the tariff issues in the country's agricultural and dairy a gathering of farmers in the national capital, the Union Minister noted that there were global voices that had shown concern about India's rapid progress, especially in the context of trade agreements and acknowledged that while India seeks to maintain friendly relations and create fair trade agreements with countries across the world, the spirit of these agreements must be grounded in fairness and equality."In our country, the right of the farmer is paramount, and the right of the citizen is paramount. You know, there are many people in the world who are jealous of our progress. 'What if India makes great progress? Make an agreement with them.' We do make agreements because we see the world as one family. But the spirit of agreement is based on fairness, on equality," he highlighted the agreement made with the UK, where Indian agricultural products would be allowed to enter the UK without tariffs, benefiting Indian farmers . However, he was cautious about any potential trade deals that could jeopardise Indian agriculture."We made an agreement with the UK on equal terms so that the produce of our farmers can go to England without any tax. Many agricultural products will now reach England without tax. But if someone suggests an agreement that allows another country's goods to flood our markets, we cannot compete with them," he Union Minister pointed out the disparity in the scale of farming between India and many foreign countries, stating, "Their farms are massive--10,000, 15,000, or even 20,000 hectares--while our farmers often have just one or two acres, or maybe up to five acres, which is rare. There is no comparison."He also warned that an agreement that allows foreign agricultural products to flood Indian markets could severely harm domestic farmers, driving down prices and depriving them of fair returns."If such an agreement happens, it would kill Indian farmers. Cheap foreign produce will flood the market. If we sell our produce at lower prices, farmers will not get a fair return," he a strong reaffirmation of India's stance, Chouhan echoed the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi , asserting that no agreement would be signed at the expense of Indian farmers."But PM Modi said there will be no agreements that would go against the farmers. Their rights will be paramount," he Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the nation on the 79th Independence Day, reaffirmed his support to protect farmers, saying that he is "standing tall like a wall against policies which are against farmer interest.""If any policy is against India's farmers, fishermen, cattle rearers, Modi is standing like a wall," PM Modi about standing his ground in the era of 'economic selfishness,' he added, "I say this with great experience. Kisi doosre ki lakeer chhoti karne ke liye, apni oorja hamein nahi khaphai. Hamein poori oorja ke saath hamari lakeer ko lamba karna hai. If we do that, the world will admit our strength."These remarks come during a time when India is actively involved in the discussions on the Bilateral Trade Agreement with the US, which the two sides could not conclude due to the American demand to get comprehensive access to the Indian agriculture and dairy US is pressuring India to open its agricultural market and subsequently imposing a 25 per cent additional tariff, with Washington calling it a 'penalty' for buying Russian oil. (ANI)
