Understanding your customer is the ultimate algorithm: Skoda’s Ashish Gupta

Skoda Auto India is reinforcing the connection between brand equity and commercial performance, sharpening its emphasis on relevance, distinctiveness, credibility and AI-driven storytelling, said Ashish Gupta, Brand Director - India, Skoda Auto.

Addressing the e4m India Brand Conclave 2026 in Mumbai, Gupta outlined how the carmaker is recalibrating its marketing playbook to differentiate itself within India’s intensely competitive auto landscape. “Brand building and how brand building can actually contribute to what ultimately matters to me, which is the sales volumes and the profitability we generate for the company,” Gupta said while commencing his session.Gupta underlined India’s growing stature in the global automotive hierarchy.

“India last year became the third largest automotive market globally. We sold close to 4.45 million vehicles in one year… today we rank as the third largest automotive industry, behind only China and the US, and it continues to expand,” he said, noting that expansion has heightened rivalry and noise in the category.

To operate effectively in this scenario, Skoda has structured its messaging around three foundational pillars. “Last year we clearly articulated our three communication pillars… we define them as relevance, differentiation and trust,” he said. Stressing the value of authenticity, he added, “Trust is cultivated through consistency, trust is cultivated through transparency and trust is cultivated by showing up for your customers every single day.”

Delivering relevance at scale has required broadening both portfolio and footprint.Referring to the introduction of the Kylaq, Gupta said, “With the Kylaq, as we entered the segment with a sub 1 million offering, it was crucial that we moved closer to customers through pricing as well as through our network,” highlighting the expansion from 120 dealerships to nearly 325 touchpoints spanning 183 cities.The company has also embraced consumer co-creation and digital-first initiatives.

“We began by involving customers extensively, from the concept phase to the launch phase, starting with the Name Your Skoda campaign,” Gupta said, adding that the effort garnered nearly 100,000 submissions. He also cited a quick-commerce partnership: “We collaborated with Zepto for a 10-minute test drive, something unprecedented. It was a logistical nightmare… but we executed it,” delivering “reach exceeding 100 million, a 63% surge in brand searches on Google and… 10,000 bookings within 10 days.”

Beyond mainstream accessibility, Skoda has invested in aspiration-driven narratives. “The overarching aim was to create differentiation and enhance brand desirability, which can then cascade into the mass portfolio,” he said, referencing the Octavia RS campaign and adjacent brand initiatives tailored to engage enthusiasts.

Gupta emphasised that innovation today extends beyond product engineering into storytelling and execution agility. “It covers how we introduce cars, how we narrate stories and how we generate impact amid clutter,” he said, pointing to the refreshed Kushaq campaign. “Two weeks ago, we revealed the new Kushaq, launching in the third week of March, where we leveraged deep human insights and creativity, alongside AI and computer graphics, to scale rapidly and deploy ideas swiftly.”

Summarising the evolution of contemporary marketing, Gupta remarked, “This is how brands command attention, create meaning and transition from campaigns to communities.” He concluded by reiterating the power of clarity and consumer empathy: “In an era of acceleration, simplicity, when applied creatively, can be your greatest strength. For me, the most important algorithm is understanding your customer.”