At the MMA Impact India event, a high-stakes conversation unfolded on the future of Artificial Intelligence in rural India. Titled “Inclusive AI for Bharat: Empowering Rural Communities and Driving Sustainable Growth”, the session—moderated by Niraj Ruparel, Creative Tech Lead at WPP & GroupM India – brought together a panel of influential marketing and technology leaders. These included Ajay Gupte, CEO of Wavemaker South Asia; Gunjan Khetan, CMO of Perfetti Van Melle India; Suresh Chand, VP Marketing of ITC Foods; and joining virtually, Anthony Burke, CEO of Subvrsive, a WPP agency.
The dialogue uncovered layered insights on how AI is being used to serve—not just sell to—Bharat, a term that captures the vast, diverse, and digitally awakening population beyond India’s urban centers.
Ajay Gupte: “Bharat is Not Just a Market—It is the Future”
Kicking off the session, Ajay Gupte addressed the most fundamental shift brands are witnessing: the digital acceleration in rural India. “We used to talk about Bharat as an emerging opportunity—now it is the opportunity,” he said. He emphasized that over 500 million users in Bharat are now online, actively engaging with digital content, particularly through voice and video.
He warned brands against viewing this segment through an outdated urban lens. “The rural consumer isn’t a passive recipient. They’re engaging, creating, consuming, and expecting relevance,” he explained. According to Gupte, AI is the bridge that can connect brands to this emerging class—if used with empathy and contextual intelligence.
He also called for brand responsibility in building sustainable models, noting that companies can no longer afford to wait for rural consumers to adapt. “We must adapt to them.”
Gunjan Khetan: “AI is a Mass Enabler—Not a Luxury”
Building on Gupte’s points, Gunjan Khetan emphasized that AI should be leveraged as a tool for mass inclusion. “Whether it’s our supply chain or communication, we see AI as a system that can add value across touchpoints,” said the Perfetti Van Melle India CMO.
He noted that vernacular voice search, AI-driven regional content personalization, and predictive logistics models have helped the brand create contextual and delightful experiences for consumers—even in geographies once considered hard to reach.
“We are now able to reach deeper, with more precision, and in ways that respect the consumer’s language and culture,” Khetan said. He stressed the importance of using AI to not just automate tasks but to build culturally resonant experiences that create trust and engagement at the grassroots level.
Suresh Chand: “AI Helps Us Design for Bharat—Not Just Localize Urban Campaigns”
Suresh Chand, VP Marketing at ITC Foods, brought a strategic perspective, highlighting how AI is being used to decode local insights and inform product development. “For us, AI is not just a communications tool—it’s a business intelligence tool,” he explained.
He emphasized ITC’s approach of going beyond “translation” to “transcreation,” using AI models to understand regional tastes, aspirations, and content preferences. “We’re using data from speech patterns, community sentiment, and product feedback to tailor offerings that are hyper-local,” he said.
Chand pointed out that while traditional marketing may have seen rural India as monolithic, AI allows brands to approach it with granularity and agility. AI is helping ITC identify unserved needs, forecast regional demand, and even optimize rural distribution networks with machine learning tools.
Anthony Burke: “We Must Build AI With Communities, Not Just For Them”
Joining virtually from the U.S., Anthony Burke, CEO of Subvrsive, added a global and ethical lens to the discussion. He spoke about how AI and immersive technology can be used to empower underrepresented voices—if done inclusively.
“We’ve seen how marginalized communities globally can leapfrog through tech—but only if it’s built with their context in mind,” Burke said. He advocated for co-creation, stressing the need for brands and technologists to involve communities in the design and feedback loop of AI solutions.
Burke also cautioned against AI being used as a top-down solution. “The most impactful tools come from within the community—when AI is trained on local dialects, powered by local data, and respectful of local nuance,” he added.
The Moderator’s Vision: “Purpose-Driven AI is the Real Innovation”
Bringing it all together, Niraj Ruparel anchored the session by emphasizing that inclusive AI is not just about adoption, but about empowerment and purpose. “We often get carried away by shiny tech,” he said. “But what’s revolutionary is using that tech to solve actual, human problems—especially for communities that have been underserved or overlooked.”
He noted that AI solutions that solve for language accessibility, cultural sensitivity, and economic sustainability will define the next generation of brand success in India. Ruparel concluded with a call to action: “This isn’t just a moment for rural India. This is a moment of rural India—and it will define how inclusive our digital future really is.”
The panelists collectively painted a compelling picture: AI for Bharat is not a niche play—it’s the central opportunity for brands, technologists, and policymakers. Whether through regional voice assistants, predictive logistics, hyperlocal content creation, or grassroots co-design, AI must now serve as a force multiplier for inclusion, relevance, and equity.
The message was clear: The path to sustainable growth in India runs through its villages, small towns, and regional cultures. And it’s brands who embed empathy into AI—not just efficiency—who will earn trust, loyalty, and long-term success in the next frontier of India’s digital journey.
