Adopt AI or face regret: Insights from India’s brand leaders

AI may be advancing at a dizzying pace, yet organisations are realising that sheer speed alone cannot guarantee long-term value creation. At the India Brand Conclave 2026, industry experts convened to deliberate on the critical question of how to evolve AI from scattered pilot projects into holistic, self-reinforcing systems capable of driving measurable business outcomes. The panel, titled “From AI Pilots to AI Performance: Turning Hype into ROI in 2026,” explored the contexts where AI demonstrates tangible impact, how it can be scaled effectively, and the strategies organisations must adopt to ensure AI informs decision-making without compromising trust or integrity.

Moderated by Shailja Verghese, Founder of Unstoppable Network, the session featured a distinguished lineup of professionals: Chandan Bagwe, Founder & Managing Director of CCom Digital; Kedarswamy Ravangave, Executive Vice President - Marketing at Kotak Mahindra Bank; Santosh P Kumar, Chief Operating Officer - India for Innocean; Shreyas Sathe, CEO of Hybrid INSEA; Somesh Surana, Joint President - Digital Business Group and Marketing at HDFC ERGO General Insurance; and Prateek Gour, Co-founder of Footprynt.

Verghese set the stage by framing the conversation around a clear premise: the discussion was no longer about whether AI works—it is evident that it does. The focus now is on pinpointing the environments where AI can be most effective, how organisations can scale its applications, and how leadership can embrace AI in ways that enhance performance while preserving brand trust. She invited panelists to share real-world use cases, practical learnings, and cautionary tales.

Santosh Kumar reflected on Innocean’s early exploration with AI, emphasising that experimentation was extensive but often unstructured. “It was not a matter of one or two isolated projects,” he said. “We were running multiple initiatives to understand, to test, and inevitably, to fail.” Approximately two and a half years ago, the agency launched its dedicated AI lab, which served as a sandbox for innovation. “Initially, curiosity drove our experiments more than a defined end goal,” Kumar admitted. He explained that Innocean broadly categorised AI applications into three principal domains: generative AI for content creation and workflow automation at scale, personalisation to enhance relevance using media audience signals, and predictive-diagnostic approaches to evaluate which messages would emotionally resonate with consumers. “AI has allowed us to anticipate the potential success of communication even before production begins,” he noted, underscoring a transformational shift in approach.

In the domain of predictive analytics, particularly within market research, AI has introduced both efficiency and richness of insight. “Rather than relying on declared intent, we are now able to observe actual consumer behaviour within the research framework,” Kumar explained. These insights have gradually become embedded into organisational workflows, providing more reliable and actionable guidance for marketing decisions.

Chandan Bagwe elaborated on these points, reflecting on his organisation’s initial AI adoption, which was largely piecemeal. “We began with task-specific applications at the individual level. This bottom-up approach was flawed,” he admitted. The key realisation was that AI must be integrated top-down, at the department or organisational level, rather than as a collection of disconnected tools. “The learning was clear: embedding AI at the value-chain level is essential to realise true impact,” he stated.

Prateek Gour was emphatic when asked whether gaps in AI implementation stemmed from technology or leadership. “The primary gap is in leadership understanding the technology,” he said. Highlighting the rapid evolution of AI, he observed that innovation occurs continuously, yet corporate decision-making often lags. “Passing approvals can take weeks; vendor payments may take months. The speed of traditional operations cannot match the pace required for AI to be effective,” Gour emphasised. He stressed that AI cannot remain a symbolic or experimental initiative—it must be implemented decisively and with immediacy.

The discussion then moved to content creation and the role of humans in an AI-driven ecosystem. Gour cited a viral social media incident involving a synthetic singer, where 90% of viewers believed the AI-generated persona was real. “Yet a human parody of the same event garnered even more engagement,” he explained. He stressed that human creativity retains a unique relevance, especially in emotionally resonant content. “There will always be a human touch in content creation. AI has not reached a stage where it can replicate genuine relatability,” he noted. Gour also cautioned against the proliferation of AI-generated content, warning that excessive automation in content could eventually overwhelm and alienate audiences.

Verghese prompted a discussion on trust, particularly in sensitive industries such as banking. Ravangave underscored that AI should be approached as a system rather than a mere tool. “AI is not solely about operational efficiency. Its real potential is unleashed when viewed as a holistic system, not just an add-on to existing workflows,” he said. He highlighted that in banking, trust is foundational. “Clients entrust us with their money because they trust the institution. If AI becomes invasive, that trust erodes—this is a critical risk,” he cautioned.

Ravangave also emphasised governance, particularly in high-involvement sectors. “Communication in banking cannot be left to imagination. Balancing autonomous AI systems with structured organisational frameworks is essential,” he said. Reflecting on his organisation’s journey, he admitted that a common early mistake was perceiving AI as a simple tool. Over time, Kotak Mahindra Bank has evolved from using AI as an assistant to leveraging it as an accelerator, and now is moving toward fully integrated compounding systems. The bank is preparing to introduce a semi-autonomous marketing function, designed to optimise processes such as consumer understanding, content creation, media deployment, journey fulfilment, and measurement. “The marketer’s role becomes one of refining and improving the system, letting it self-improve,” Ravangave explained. Collaboration with AI-native agencies enables transformation of single inputs into comprehensive content outputs across channels.

In the insurance sector, Surana discussed AI’s application in trust-heavy contexts such as claims. “Claims often involve sensitive situations—hospitalisations, accidents, cyber fraud, or the loss of a loved one,” he said. The question is not whether human intervention is necessary, but whether AI can enhance the customer experience. “If AI improves the efficiency of discharge procedures or vehicle inspections, customers benefit,” he asserted. HDFC ERGO has been investing in AI since 2017, particularly for video-based vehicle inspections, reducing processes that once required physical surveys and manual approvals to near-instant completion. Surana emphasised the long-term commitment necessary to reach high accuracy benchmarks. “Achieving 97% accuracy took four to five years. Immediate perfection is unrealistic,” he said.

He also reminded the audience that human processes are not infallible. “Human error rates were between 85-90%,” he noted, citing examples where clerical mistakes impacted claims. “Expecting AI to deliver flawless outcomes is unreasonable unless we recognise that humans are also imperfect,” he added. Surana’s key insight: sustained investment and model training are critical to delivering superior customer experiences.

Shreyas Sathe shared early use cases of AI, initially focused on optimisation in areas such as radio advertising. A pivotal shift occurred when Google announced the impending deprecation of third-party cookies. “We moved towards contextual intelligence, scanning articles, keywords, and images to more accurately place ads,” he said. International expansion posed additional challenges, as models trained in one cultural context did not always translate seamlessly to another. “AI is powerful, but only when guided, trained, and adapted to context,” Sathe emphasised. 

Verghese framed AI’s evolution as a multi-tier journey: beginning with execution, progressing to delegated decision-making, and ultimately requiring leadership judgement to shape organisational culture. Bagwe argued that the industry has now entered what he called the “performance era.” “The real value lies in the application layer. Merely having access to large language models is insufficient to generate meaningful results,” he said. He reflected on a previous attempt to launch an AI-powered product in 2018, prior to the widespread availability of LLMs. “It was only after 2022, when LLMs became available, that the application layer matured. That enabled us to realise our vision,” he added.

Bagwe elaborated on the suite of AI tools his organisation had developed: a fully AI-driven virtual assistant, the AI Ads Author for campaign content, and predictive analytics solutions. “All three systems are entirely AI-built, including avatars, marketing collateral, and go-to-market assets,” he noted. Remarkably, the full development cycle, from concept to market-ready execution, was completed in just one month. “By contrast, a similar product in 2008 required nine months. This is the scale and speed that AI now allows,” he said, highlighting the acceleration in deployment cycles.

Kumar acknowledged the speed benefits but drew attention to the broader implications. “If it currently takes one month, tomorrow it might take ten days,” he said, illustrating the exponential growth in computational capability. “Tasks that once required 25 septillion years can now be completed in mere minutes.” However, he emphasised that leadership must discern where human value intersects with AI capacity. “AI can deliver volume, speed, and agility, but the brand voice and strategic intent remain uniquely human,” Kumar noted. He reiterated that brand trust is anchored in human connection and purpose, and while routine tasks can be automated, humans must guide meaning, creativity, and emotional resonance.

Gour reinforced this point by citing examples from large Indian IT firms that were initially slow to embrace AI. “Despite their significance to the economy, some organisations underestimated the implications of AI-driven transformation,” he said. He noted rapid developments, including Claude Co-Worker, predicting continued disruption. “Processes that once took a month could be reduced to ten days or even three. Leaner teams could soon manage billion-dollar operations. Leadership cannot afford to ignore this trend,” he warned.

Sathe agreed on the velocity of change, comparing it to the early days of computing. While AI will transform roles, he highlighted enduring human elements. “Gut instinct, intuition, and judgement are areas AI cannot replicate. Leadership positions require these traits,” he said.

The discussion then shifted to cognitive overload and decision fatigue in the AI era. Bagwe noted that AI is increasingly leveraged for leadership-level functions, helping executives process vast datasets rapidly. Beyond data analysis, AI provides scenario modelling, offering perspectives that reduce dependence on external consultants.

Ravangave framed the issue through the lens of frameworks. “Decision fatigue arises when one improvises during execution,” he said. Pre-established principles, augmented by AI, democratise decision-making. “Even a professional one year into their career can apply sophisticated frameworks,” he noted. The key remains returning to first principles before action.

With generative AI, interpretation burdens have been significantly reduced. “Gen AI can synthesise and present actionable insights,” Ravangave said. Cognitive overload primarily occurs when leaders are unclear about objectives or lack prioritisation.

Kumar pointed out another challenge: mindset. “AI accelerates research and data availability, simplifying decision-making. However, human readiness and mindset often lag. Anxiety and denial of AI capabilities persist,” he said. He stressed the importance of guardrails to prevent fear-mongering, ensuring teams retain a sense of leadership agency in AI-augmented workflows.

Verghese then explored workforce integration. Surana argued that AI should be seen as a reality rather than a threat. “It is a lever to improve efficiency, not to eliminate jobs,” he said. Drawing on ad creation examples, he noted that while AI reduces time and costs, creative concepts still require human input. “In the future, AI may also draft concepts, but then humans will need to elevate strategy elsewhere,” he added.

From a leadership perspective, Surana emphasised that AI must occupy board-level discussions. “If AI is not a topic at the board, organisations will face challenges soon,” he warned. At HDFC ERGO, AI features prominently in board meetings, complemented by a dedicated AI lab at IIT Bombay and structured change management processes.

Looking ahead, panelists were asked which AI decisions they would either regret or appreciate in the coming year. Gour’s response was unequivocal: “Not implementing AI at all.” He cited examples of organisations that delayed adoption and emphasised experimentation, even if imperfect. “Implement, evaluate, adapt, hybridise—action is critical,” he said.

Surana reinforced the urgency of AI adoption while emphasising investment clarity and alignment with use cases. “All functions—marketing, distribution, call centres—must identify where AI can deliver measurable value,” he said. Sathe added a nuanced perspective: “Leaders may regret under-trusting AI, but also over-relying on it.” He shared an anecdote about hiring, where AI evaluations suggested one candidate was superior, yet human interviews revealed the opposite. “AI must be trusted but not blindly,” he advised.

Kumar urged organisations to shift focus from output to outcomes. “AI should unify processes and create efficiency, rather than simply generate volume,” he said. He highlighted the emergence of agent-to-agent communication as a critical metric, urging leaders to look beyond traditional structures such as call centres.

Ravangave closed with two vital lessons from an AI-native solutions provider. “The greatest risk is not moving slowly, but moving without understanding AI. Equally critical is avoiding outsourcing strategic thinking. Develop in-house capabilities,” he said.

Bagwe concluded the discussion with a cautionary note. “AI should not be deployed to address yesterday’s problems. Investment must target future challenges; otherwise, AI becomes a liability rather than an asset,” he warned.

As the session concluded, it was evident that AI is now woven into organisational systems, culture, and leadership accountability. The conversation underscored that success with AI requires not only technological adoption but a holistic approach encompassing governance, human oversight, strategic foresight, and continuous investment. AI is no longer a peripheral tool it is central to decision-making, operational efficiency, and organisational growth, while human judgment and ethical stewardship remain indispensable.