Shubhranshu Singh on ensuring Bharat-first marketing that is scalable & results-driven

Martech is rapidly transforming the marketing landscape in India, enabling brands to deliver hyper-personalized experiences while navigating evolving digital trends. As part of Adgully’s lead-up to the industry defining DIGIXX Summit and Awards 2025, we are exploring the innovations, challenges, and future of Martech through a special interview series with industry leaders.

In this conversation, Shubhranshu Singh, CMO, Tata Motors CV, shares insights into Martech’s role in driving customer engagement and business growth. He discusses the critical Martech skills required for today’s market, the significance of ‘Martech for Bharat’ in reaching regional audiences, and how brands can balance personalization with data privacy. He also sheds light on innovative strategies for enhancing customer loyalty in the era of social commerce and omnichannel experience.

Given the rapid evolution of martech adoption in India, particularly among SMBs, what specific martech skills or knowledge do you find most critical for your team’s success in today’s market, and how are you addressing any skill gaps?

The MarTech landscape demands expertise in data management, collection and usage. A robust AI-driven analytics framework is critical. Using data for automation, and omnichannel personalization is where the market is focusing.

A deep understanding of user, customer experience, consumer journey mapping, capitalizing on first-party data, and building agile marketing communication will be imperative for organic growth.

At Tata Motors, we upskill teams via cross-functional learning, partnerships with leading MarTech providers, and internal knowledge-sharing. We emphasize data fluency, content automation for our unified data cohorts, and real-time analytics.

Bridging gaps requires hands-on training, structured and relevant certifications, and collaboration with technology partners. It’s the experience of application knowledge over theoretical prowess especially on MarTEch. Adaptability continues to be an ever-changing dynamic reality.

With the increasing emphasis on ‘Martech for Bharat’ and the power of regional languages, how are you currently adapting your marketing strategies and martech tools to effectively reach and engage diverse regional audiences within India?

It’s not about winning in India, but as brands winning in many Indias. Many Indias exemplify Bharat. That is what diversity means – not only with different languages, but also with dialects. Focus on hyperlocal relevance, mapped vernacular deployment are hygiene in today’s times.

We leverage AI-led translations, regional centric websites, multi-language-chatbots, and communication over 7+ Indian languages to be true to regional audiences.

Martech tools enable sentiment analysis across online, greater enhanced targeting, and regional influencer collaborations. Platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube help us engage audiences where they are. Personalization continues to be key—dynamic creatives across many Indias to drive home enhanced relevance. Martech’s role is to unify brand messaging while honouring linguistic diversity of India and cultural nuances of markets, ensuring Bharat-first marketing that is inclusive, scalable, and results-driven.

⁠Considering the challenges of balancing personalization with data privacy, how do you ensure that your martech solutions, especially AI-driven tools, respect the nuances of diverse regional languages and cultural contexts while maintaining ethical data practices?

Balancing personalization with privacy demands a responsible collection, unification & deployment of data strategy. It is important first to prioritize consent-driven marketing and then build the chain of automation. Basis the new, India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP), 2023 working with right data policies like encrypted data storage and data purging are to be planned.

AI tools are fine-tuned for the brand, the business, customized for regional dialects, contextual relevance and trained sentiment assessment.

Our approach ensures hyper-personalization without overreach—leveraging zero-party and first-party data insights while avoiding intrusive tracking. Martech, when deployed ethically, strengthens brand affinity by respecting consumer privacy while delivering meaningful and personalized experiences across Bharat.

Given the rise of ‘social commerce, omnichannel experiences, and evolving CX trends’ in India, what innovative strategies can brands implement to build genuine customer loyalty and engagement in a highly competitive digital landscape, while also effectively measuring ‘essential metrics for martech effectiveness’ and ensuring ‘best practices for data protection’?

Customer loyalty hinges on convenience, relevance, and trust. To foster loyalty in India’s dynamic digital ecosystem, brands should blend personalized experience (for example, vernacular content, regional influencers) with seamless omnichannel journeys, ensuring consistent engagement across the brand’s owned assets (apps, chatbots, and offline touchpoints).

Essential Martech KPIs include conversion rates, engagement scores, customer lifetime value, and sentiment analysis. We blend behavioral analytics with real-time feedback to refine CX.

Also Read: Shubhranshu Singh on Tata Motors’ journey towards sustainability and connectivity