“2025 to see a higher rate of adaption in experiential loyalty rewards program”

In conversation with Adgully, Dhruv Verma, Founder and CEO, Thriwe, delves into the transformative trends and innovations set to shape the business landscape in 2025. With a finger on the pulse of India’s dynamic market, Dhruv highlights the rising influence of AI and new-age technologies in driving customer-centric solutions, particularly within the loyalty program space. He emphasizes the industry's shift towards personalized, experiential, and value-driven offerings that cater to the evolving preferences of modern consumers.

As the Indian economy continues to thrive with increased accessibility and unique customer engagement strategies, Dhruv Verma anticipates significant advancements in instant redemption loyalty programs and the adoption of experiential rewards over traditional systems. He also shares his vision for Thriwe’s growth, focusing on leveraging technology and fostering collaborations to cater to diverse customer niches while navigating the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Speaking on the trends, developments, and innovations that are expected to dominate the industry in 2025, Verma says, “We will continue to see positive and upward sentiments in the Indian economy. There will be more and more integration of AI and new age technology in businesses. Loyalty Programs, too, will continue to mature, focusing on personalized, experiential, value-driven offerings catering to modern customer needs.”

According to him, India’s market will stand out with its accessibility and unique customer engagement strategies. Companies will focus more on instant redemption loyalty programs for customer retention. “We will see a higher rate of adaption in experiential loyalty rewards program in comparison to the traditional point-based systems,” he adds.

As far as expectations from 2025 are concerned, Verma says, “At Thriwe, we have some interesting programs in process. We are excited to build them and grow them in 2025. One thing I am looking forward is how technology and 3D, life-size digital generations can be leveraged to enhance the redemption process and create seamless customer experiences.”

“Another thing I am looking forward is on how collaborations can be expanded to provide loyalty solutions across emerging sectors to cater to diverse customer niches and needs,” he adds.

According to Verma, the headwinds highly expected to arise are intense marketing competition making differentiation in offeringa challenge. Reduced start-up funding might slow down innovation and adoption of advanced and experimental loyalty programs.

Clear policies, sector expansion and adoption of loyalty programs in non-traditional industries are the tailwinds expected in the coming year.

“Advancements in technology will support efficiency, personalization, and customer satisfaction, enabling companies to provide holistic experiences to customers and significantly impacting their rate of consumer repetition,” Verma concludes.