Mumbai: Adding a business and industry lens to the first day’s agenda at Goafest 2026, LinkedIn hosted a keynote, ‘Meet the Indian Prosumer; Reaching High-Value Professional Consumers’, where Dave Yang, Managing Director – SMB & Mid Market – APAC, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, unpacked the emergence of India’s ambitious professional consumer and its growing influence on business and brand strategy.
Highlighting India’s importance as a growth market, Yang said, “India is home to one in five LinkedIn members globally, with nearly 3,900 new professionals joining LinkedIn every hour. We are seeing a generation of ambitious professionals openly expressing aspirations, celebrating career milestones, and actively investing in personal and professional growth.”
“Professional milestones today are increasingly shaping consumption behaviour. Promotions, new roles, and career growth moments are creating meaningful opportunities for brands to engage consumers at pivotal life stages, particularly as India’s rising professional class drives demand across premium and luxury categories,” he added.
He went to speak about AI. “AI is also transforming how consumers discover brands and products. Trusted voices, authentic storytelling, and professional conversations are becoming increasingly important as people rely more on AI-driven discovery journeys. For brands, this presents an opportunity to connect with high-value professional consumers in more relevant and meaningful ways,” Yang said.
Another session on the first day was ‘Resetting the Limits of What’s Possible’, presented by Sony LIV, powered by Sakal Media Group in association with Dainik Jagran. Cricket Captain & Legend of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team, Harmanpreet Kaur, engaged in a compelling conversation with Actor, Anchor, Author & Fitness Enthusiast, Mandira Bedi.
Speaking about leadership, resilience, breaking barriers, and the evolving landscape of women’s sports in India, Kaur said, “‘Reset’ means coming back to the present moment, especially under pressure. Focusing on breathing and taking short mental pauses helps regain clarity during matches. I always knew cricket was my dream from childhood and never imagined doing anything else. My father, family, and coach supported my journey, and my coach even opened a cricket academy for girls after noticing my talent. My 171* against Australia in 2017 changed women’s cricket and inspired many girls to take up the sport, while the 2017 World Cup became a major turning point for visibility and support for women’s cricket. Honesty and commitment towards the team matter most, and success only comes by trusting the process and learning from failures.”
