India’s media boom and the role of ‘Sutradhars’ in modern advertising

New Delhi: As brands diversify beyond traditional formats, agencies are undergoing a transformation of their own. The rise of micro-specialists—performance marketers, SEO pros, influencer managers—has redefined how campaigns are built. 

But according to Parthasarathy Mandayam, Chief Strategy Officer at GroupM South Asia, expertise alone isn’t enough. What agencies now need, he said, are “sutradhars”—strategic integrators who can weave together these specialised threads into a single, coherent narrative. 

“You need both—specialists and integrators,” Maps emphasises. “Some of this comes with experience, but it’s essential if you want to serve a client well.”

Drawing a compelling parallel with the healthcare system, he explained, “Earlier, you had a general practitioner who did everything. Now you have micro-specialisations—physicians, neurologists, etc. But you still need someone to diagnose the overall problem and coordinate across all specialisations. It's the same in our business.”

Unlike many global markets, India continues to defy global advertising trends with growth across all major media platforms, said Maps.

“We are probably the only market where almost every medium—from digital to traditional—is showing growth,” he told BestMediaInfo.com. “There’s still headroom for expansion in every category. Digital is clearly leading, but even others like television, print, and radio are on an upward trajectory.”

According to him, the growth isn’t just volume-driven—it’s being propelled by a deep transformation in how media is being planned, delivered, and experienced. At the heart of this transformation lies the rapid integration of technology and artificial intelligence into the ecosystem.

One of the most encouraging shifts, according to Maps, is the industry’s evolving view of value. For too long, agency conversations have been dominated by cost-cutting and pricing. But clients are now increasingly seeking real impact.

“You don’t win a pitch just because you’re cheaper—you win because you deliver value. There’s a big difference,” he asserted. “Clients want to know, ‘How will you help me sell more?’ That’s the business impact they care about.”

While pricing is still important, he said it’s become secondary to strategy, execution, and talent. “At the end of the day, clients are asking—who integrates better? Who has the best talent?”

Despite the rapid pace of tech-driven transformation, the essence of great advertising—a compelling brand idea—remains irreplaceable, said Mandayam.

“What’s evolving is the way that idea is brought to life,” he said. “Look at the Shah Rukh Khan campaign for Mondelez—AI enabled him to name-check local stores, turning a big idea into something deeply personal and locally relevant. That’s the future of storytelling.”

While simplicity in storytelling still holds value, Maps pointed out that delivery has changed dramatically. “Earlier, TV was the only way to reach the masses. Today, I can not only target more precisely, but also tailor the message—even down to local dialects.”

He added, “Imagine an ad personalised for every district in Uttar Pradesh, each version subtly adapted in dialect. That level of contextual nuance makes the message far more authentic—and far more effective.”

Reflecting on how his own role as Chief Strategy Officer has changed, Parthasarathy said the demands of strategy have grown exponentially.

“It’s evolved because the agency has evolved. Five years ago, did I have separate teams for retail media, commerce, influencer marketing, and performance? No. Today I do. As CSO, I need to understand the value each of these brings to the consumer.”

Earlier, he said, strategy was simpler—relying on panel data or focus groups to identify what sort of communication would work. “Today, I need to figure out—is the consumer not aware? Not converting? Not engaging? And accordingly, decide which tool to deploy. I now have more tools in my box—and I have to know how to use each one, when and how much.”

In his view, strategy has become a far more complex and demanding game—but also a more rewarding one.