Asian Paints CEO Amit Syngle: “Based on our research, a lot of our marketing efforts have been shifting from just a central initiative to regional markets and micro marketing. For example, in Tamil Nadu, we launched Varnamaalai, a shade guide based on the soaps that Sun TV was showcasing. In West Bengal, we did a pack which had the elements of Durga Puja, the Howrah Bridge and the trams of Kolkata. Because of regionalisation, paint cans, which were earlier used in bathrooms and kitchens, are now adorning living rooms. While it has led to a significant increase in our marketing budget, we think it is a worthwhile return on what we spend, rather than just spending on a national framework, which we continue to do.”
Bloomberg: “India is fast becoming one of the world’s biggest AI user bases. The question now is how it can turn that scale into superpower status rather than just training Silicon Valley for free. That will be a tall order for a country largely caught flat-footed by the boom. But let’s start with the basics: The three main building blocks of AI are talent, compute (including high-end chips and infrastructure), and data. India doesn’t lack engineers, but it currently doesn’t have foundational research training at scale or enough advanced processors at public labs and universities. What it does have, in abundance, is data. It should start treating this like a strategic asset rather than leaking it out as a free export.”
Activate: “After years of discussion about India’s potential in AI, the first wave of AI-native unicorns is now beginning to form across infrastructure, applications, and foundation models. Some are being built to power India’s own AI ecosystem, while others are building global products from Indian talent. For the first time, both of those stories are unfolding at the same moment.”
Arnold Kling: “I think that the potential for AI to increase productivity is very high. But I look at faculty at universities, for example, and think that the chances for realizing these productivity gains are pretty low. To take advantage of AI, you need to be willing to completely re-think your mission and your role. My guess is that the professionals at large incumbent organizations who are most willing to do that are also the ones most likely to leave and strike out on their own. What organizations will be left with are the folks who are inclined toward denial and resistance.”
