Goafest 2025 Day 2: Disruption, diversity, and digital transformation lead the agenda

Day 2 of Goafest 2025 kicked off with a musical performance by Indian singer and composer, Raghav Sachar. The performance ‘IGNITE HUNGAMA’ was presented by Sharechat, Moj and Truecaller.

The morning of Day 2 started with a high-impact panel titled ‘From Code to Commerce: Growth in the AI Age’, featuring a stellar line-up of industry leaders. Arjun Choudhary, Vice President at Swiggy; Sanket Prakash Tulangekar, Director at MakeMyTrip; Tejas Apte, Head of Media and Digital Marketing at Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL); and Pragya Bijalwan, Chief Marketing Officer at Voltas Limited came together for a lively discussion moderated by independent journalist and producer, Anuradha Sengupta. Presented by Meta in association with Saptharushi under the theme 'IGNITE GROWTH,' the panel discussed how generative AI is reshaping business across sectors. The conversation opened by crediting ChatGPT for bringing generative AI into public consciousness and noted how tech giants like Microsoft are restructuring in response to its impact.

 

Pragya Bijalwan emphasised AI’s role in elevating consumer experience in HVAC systems, through personalisation and predictive maintenance. “AI humanises technology in consumer products,” she said, advocating for its adoption across all functions. While dismissing fears of job losses, she called for widespread reskilling, framing AI as an evolution, not a threat. Tejas Apte shared how AI is deeply embedded across the company’s value chain, from smart factories and R&D innovation hubs to hyper-local marketing. Tools like the Shikhar app assist general trade partners with inventory and personalised outreach, while internal GenAI tools enable rapid creative testing. He underscored the need for transparent, responsible AI use, citing the Dove ‘miniatures” campaign as an example.

Sanket Prakash Tulangekar highlighted the company’s AI assistant Myra, which uses multi-agent orchestration to streamline travel planning, summarize reviews, and enhance search. He stressed the importance of moderation and red-teaming to address content bias and ensure reliability. Swiggy’s Arjun Choudhary spoke about the platform’s internal GenAI-driven transformation, from sales co-pilots and dynamic dashboards to AI-powered restaurant support. He noted a shift where even non-tech teams use AI tools for demos, PRDs, and insights. AI, he said, is “as fundamental as math,” now seen as a core life skill and a major productivity driver.

Simultaneously, at the Gyaan Podium, The ADAN, Knowledge Partner, WARC unveiled its WARC Pitch report titled ‘Findings from The Pace Principle’. The session was led by Biprorshee Das, India Editor, WARC, and Sujeet Kulkarni, Managing Director, Andersen Consulting India. The session marked the unveiling of the 'Pace Principles' report, a groundbreaking marketing effectiveness study using Asian data for the first time. The study emphasised balancing long-term brand building with short-term performance marketing, showing that combined approaches outperform singular ones. It also highlighted the importance of better measurement practices, such as extending campaign tracking beyond the active period. 

Sujeet Kulkarni opened the session reinforcing the platform’s foundation in creativity and effectiveness. He emphasised that the idea of ‘measuring brand and performance separately is a false premise.’ According to him, it’s not about ‘brand plus performance,’ but ‘brand-time-performance’, meaning that time plays a crucial role in building sustainable success. He also mentioned that ‘using time as an ally’ helps marketers stay committed to long-term brand building. He noted that the ideal number of channels for peak marketing effectiveness is six and a half, indicating that a mix of platforms is necessary to build momentum and achieve growth.

Biposhree Das challenged the notion that speed hinders brand investment. He emphasised that the most effective campaigns in Asia strike a 50-50 balance between brand building and conversion, proving the region’s receptiveness to long-term branding. He cautioned against isolating equity-building efforts, stressing the importance of integration across time and touchpoints. ‘The multiply effect,’ he said, ‘amplifies outcomes when brand efforts are sustained and cohesive.’

At the MakemyTrip Presents AdAsia Macau Road Show, Srinivasan K Swamy, Chairman of the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA), officially announced that AdAsia 2025 will be held in Macau on August 27. Swamy highlighted that over 30 global leaders, including prominent Indian voices, will take the stage in Macau’s vibrant setting. With a goal of bringing 100+ Indian delegates, he assured attendees of specially arranged Indian food and hospitality. “We welcome everyone to be part of the India delegation and make their presence felt at this global platform,” he said.

An important cultural lens was applied in the session ‘Mardon Wali Baat: A discussion on Masculinity in Advertising’, presented by Knowledge Partner, ASCI. The panel comprising Karthi Marshan, Principal at Marshan.Ink Kotak, and Nisha Singhania, Co-Founder and Director at Infectious Advertising, was moderated by Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). The panel unpacked evolving portrayals of masculinity in Indian advertising, urging a shift away from dated clichés.

Nisha Singhania emphasised that masculinity goes beyond physicality, encompassing emotional complexity and vulnerability. She critiqued the recurring trope of men as ‘a work in progress’ who need to be ‘fixed’ through marriage, calling it reductive and obsolete. ‘India is changing,’ she said, ‘and so are its men. Legacy brands need to stop leaning on old data and start investing in new, nuanced narratives.’ Karthi Marshan argued that the masculinity-versus-feminism debate is a false binary, advocating for a move beyond rigid labels. He challenged the belief that brand-building requires long-term investment, stating, ‘Disruption grabs attention, and attention drives engagement, regardless of who you target.’ He also called out marketers for underestimating their audiences, noting that viewers are often more progressive than advertisers assume. Together, the panel called for a more honest, layered, and culturally relevant approach to masculinity in advertising, one that reflects the evolving Indian male and breaks free from outdated gender scripts.

The momentum continued with a thought-provoking session titled ‘Merging Boundaries: From Placement to Partnership’, presented under the theme IGNITE THE SHIFT, powered by Hindustan Times in association with Amar Ujala. The panel featured a dynamic lineup of industry leaders including Satya Raghavan, Director, Marketing Partners at Google India; Rathi Gangappa, CEO of Starcom India; Ajit Varghese, Head of Revenue, Entertainment & International at JioStar; and Shubhranshu Singh, CMO of Tata Commercial Vehicles. Moderated by Kartik Sharma, Group CEO of Omnicom Media Group India, the session brought together voices from tech, media, and brand ecosystems.

Satya Raghavan urged marketers to move beyond short-term lead generation and invest in long-term brand health. He highlighted that agencies must challenge client assumptions with strategic thinking, adding that ‘storytelling and common sense still cut through chaos.’ Rathi Gangappa underlined the evolving role of agencies, not just as media buyers but as orchestrators of brand connectivity across stories, platforms, influencers, and consumer loyalty. ‘It’s no longer about placements; it's about building cohesive narratives,’ she said. Ajit Varghese advocated for a deeper partnership model where consumer insight, content creation, and measurable ROI go hand-in-hand. He called OTT a powerful canvas for personalised storytelling. Shubhranshu Singh stressed the operational and strategic value agencies offer. ‘No one partner can do it all,’ he said. ‘We depend on agencies for domain expertise and to extend our strained internal capabilities.’ The session concluded with a shared call for integration, insight-driven collaboration, and breaking silos to drive true marketing effectiveness.

In a session titled ‘Beyond Pink and Blue - Gender Conscious Creativity in the Dynamic Landscape’, presented by Knowledge Partner – IAA, industry leaders called for deeper inclusivity and bold shifts in storytelling. The panel featured Darshana Shah, CMO of Aditya Birla Capital Ltd; Rubeena Singh, Managing Director India at Neil Patel Digital; and P.G. Aditiya, Co-Founder and CCO of Talented; moderated by Megha Tata, Strategic Advisor and Independent Director.

Megha opened by noting the long-standing role of advertising in shaping gender norms, and the urgent need to unshape them. Darshana Shah highlighted that gender bias starts early and is baked into systems, right from school colors to financial decision-making. She urged brands to go beyond tokenism, push for inclusive leadership, and widen representation across age, body type, and identity. Rubeena Singh pointed to Gen Z’s fluidity on gender as a cue for change, while noting that senior media decision-makers often resist progressive ideas. She stressed the need to think gender-neutral now to reshape tomorrow. P.G. Aditiya emphasised tackling unconscious bias and urged industry leaders to act from belief, not just business goals. ‘Don’t just fix the old,’ he said, ‘build new stories with inclusion at the core.’ The session closed with a call for introspection, representation, and industry-wide accountability.

Goafest 2025, in collaboration with Earthday.org, hosted a symbolic Tree Plantation Ceremony. The initiative underscored the industry’s commitment to sustainability and was graced by prominent leaders including Sam Balsara, Ramesh Narayan, Sundar Swamy, Shashi Sinha, Anupriya Acharya, Rana Barua, Colvyn Harris, Nagesh Alai, and Raj Nayak.

Meanwhile, at the Bioscope, Cinema Room, Ashish Khazanchi, Managing Partner at Enormous emphasised that true creativity stems from self-expression, not a quest for awards. He urged creatives to focus on immediacy, craft, and clarity to stand out in today’s cluttered landscape. The first half also featured a series of engaging masterclasses, offering deep dives into emerging trends and creative strategies. 

 

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