CEO Venkat Chalasani says content must “speak the language of the saver” to build trust beyond urban India. In a significant push for inclusive financial literacy, the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) will launch a new wave of local-language campaigns through connected TV (CTV) to reach rural households and first-time investors. AMFI CEO Venkat Chalasani announced the initiative at the recent e4m Connected TV Conference, stating that regionalisation of financial communication is the next critical step in deepening India’s investment base.
“If a homemaker in Tamil Nadu wants to save for her daughter’s future, the message should reach her in Tamil and in a context she understands,” Chalasani said, underscoring how personalised financial education can no longer remain limited to English-speaking or urban audiences.
CTV to Lead the Digital Literacy Drive
Chalasani said AMFI’s strategy now includes a digital-forward plan with connected TV at its centre. “CTV is no longer a luxury; it’s a mainstream media habit. And it allows financial storytelling to become more immersive, inclusive, and impactful,” he said.
This campaign will feature calm, trustworthy narratives that go beyond traditional ad formats. “We want to create trust movements on CTV—honest, calm messages that explain, reassure and inspire during market volatility,” Chalasani added, revealing that the campaign may revisit messages from cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who has been associated with past initiatives.
Beyond celebrities, AMFI now plans to bring real people into its messaging to foster relatability. “We’ve used stars like Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni before. Now we want to involve common citizens so that the message feels like it’s coming from a neighbour, not a brand,” he said.
Simple, Short and Specific Messaging
The campaign will be anchored in simplicity, a principle Chalasani called non-negotiable. Referencing the “15-second principle,” he said, “If you can’t explain something clearly in 15 seconds, take it off. We want every viewer to understand what an SIP is, what risk profile means, and how to plan their money—with no jargon.”
AMFI is also building interactive formats such as voice-enabled quizzes and gamified financial challenges to improve user engagement. “We’re planning a lot more than just TV ads—this is about financial education becoming part of everyday content,” Chalasani said.
Linking Financial Literacy to ‘Viksit Bharat’
Chalasani tied the campaign’s goals to India’s national development vision. “Viksit Bharat is not just about infrastructure and unicorns. It’s about empowering citizens—millions of Indians—to know where their money is going,” he said. “Only when every Indian can dream, plan and invest will India become truly developed.”
He emphasised that campaigns like Mutual Funds Sahi Hai, which began in 2017, have already shown the power of simplified messaging in breaking investment taboos. “We moved from 1 crore investors in 2017 to 5.4 crore now. SIP inflows rose from Rs 4,000 crore per month to Rs 26,600 crore,” he said, noting that the campaign helped reposition mutual funds as an accessible product for the middle class.
The Trust Deficit and the Need for Transparency
Despite progress, Chalasani pointed out that trust remains a barrier. “When I go to universities and speak with doctors and engineers, many say, ‘I don’t understand mutual funds.’ These aren’t product objections—they’re trust and clarity gaps,” he explained.
He said transparency must be reframed not as a compliance metric, but a trust-building tool. “Transparency isn’t a tick box—it’s a relationship strategy. It’s why we disclose everything, from daily NAVs to stress test results,” he said.
CTV’s Role in Closing the Gap
Although India has over 60 crore digital users, only 5.4 crore people invest in mutual funds. Chalasani believes CTV and digital platforms can bridge this gap—especially with relatable content. “We’ve only scratched the surface. Personalised, regionalised financial storytelling is the way forward,” he said.
The campaign’s success, he concluded, will not be measured just in AUM or SIP growth, but in enabling financial independence. “It’s not enough for GDP to grow if the wealth doesn’t reach every household. We must ensure that financial well-being isn’t limited to the top 1,000 people,” Chalasani said.
Closing with a quote from Peter Drucker, he urged young Indians to take the lead: “The best way to predict the future is to empower people to build it. Let us build that future together.”
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