India’s Data-Driven Media Future

Q1. Could you start by giving us a brief overview of your professional background, particularly focusing on your expertise in the industry?

I currently serve as a Director at WPP Media, where my core focus is in end-to-end planning and portfolio strategy. Over my career, I have specialized in combining media investments with quantifiable business outcomes, primarily within the CPG/FMCG, WealthTech, Media and Entertainment, Retail Media, Ecommerce, QSR, Fintech, BFSI, Consumer Durables, Jewellery, Fashion, and digital payments sectors. A significant part of my strategic mandate involves decoding the complications of the Indian digital economy, from managing the transforming dynamics of consolidated networks like JioStar to combining strategies across emerging closed-loop super apps like Tata Neu. My overarching framework is built on making sure that capital allocation in media not only defends brand equity but also directly accelerates measurable commercial impact.

Q2. Is the 'premiumization' trend in India actually sustainable for brands, or are we hitting a ceiling? Are there budget shifts toward regional languages to capture the next 100 million users, or is the ROI still disproportionately concentrated in the English-speaking affluent core?

Premiumization is still growing, but its growth is now spread out across different regions. Premium FMCG segments…