Decoding the future of marketing in the AI era

On June 18, 2026, the afaqs! Marketers’ Excellence Conference returns to Mumbai, bringing together some of the country’s most influential marketers, business leaders, growth architects, and industry disruptors for a day dedicated to one pressing question: what does effective marketing look like in an AI-first world?

To be held at The Westin, Goregaon, Mumbai, the conference arrives at a pivotal moment for the industry. Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming embedded across organisations. Consumer attention is increasingly fragmented. Culture moves faster than campaign cycles. And marketers are under growing pressure to demonstrate measurable business impact while staying culturally relevant.

Against this backdrop, the afaqs! Marketers’ Excellence Conference 2026 aims to move beyond predictions and buzzwords. The focus is practical. The agenda is designed around real-world challenges, proven frameworks, and operator-led insights from executives navigating these shifts every day.

Powered by partners invested in innovation

This year’s edition is supported by Nians as Presenting Partner, SocioClout as Gold Partner, Karukrit as Brand Experience Partner, and CloudPlay XP as Co-Partner.

Their participation reflects the growing convergence of technology, creativity, experience design, and marketing effectiveness that defines today’s business landscape.

Beyond campaigns: The new marketing mandate

For years, marketing success was often measured by visibility and awareness. Today, the expectations are significantly broader.

Marketing leaders are being asked to drive growth, influence business outcomes, embrace emerging technologies, and build brands that remain relevant in rapidly changing environments. The conference explores this evolution through conversations that examine how organisations are adapting to a world where intelligence, agility, and continuous relevance matter more than ever.

From AI-native organisations and creator-led ecosystems to commerce-driven storytelling and privacy-conscious engagement strategies, the discussions are expected to offer a clear view of where marketing is headed and how businesses can prepare.

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The conversations shaping the day

The agenda brings together a diverse set of themes that reflect the industry’s most pressing questions.

Sessions will explore the future of the CMO role and whether today’s marketing leaders must operate as technologists, operators, culture builders, or all three. Discussions around AI and creativity will examine whether artificial intelligence is disrupting creative processes or enhancing them.

Attendees will also hear insights into the growth strategy behind ChatGPT in India, changing consumer expectations, the future of brand building, and the growing importance of trust, authenticity, and credibility in marketing.

Other conversations will focus on commerce media as an emerging growth engine, marketing’s contribution to business outcomes, and the ongoing debate around whether creativity remains a sustainable competitive advantage.

Collectively, these discussions point to a broader shift: marketing is becoming more accountable, more technology-driven, and more deeply integrated with business strategy than ever before.

Inside the minds of today’s marketing operators

The conference will feature a diverse line-up of marketing leaders, business heads, strategists, and growth architects who are navigating the industry’s biggest shifts in real time. Their perspectives span AI, consumer behaviour, brand-building, commerce, creativity, and business transformation.

Anupam Katheriya, CEO, Cholayil Private Limited; Ayesha Huda, CMO, Mars Petcare; Janaki Patel, AGM marketing, Havmor Ice Cream; Keyur Shah, managing partner, Apsara Ice Cream; Moneka Khurana, country head & board member, MMA India; Mou Chakravorty, director, marketing communications, Deloitte; Naarayan T V, CMO, Akasa Air; Neelima Burra, SVP, chief strategy and marketing officer, business head – omnichannel retail and international business, Luminous Power Technologies; Nikhil Sharma, CMO, JBCN Education; Pranay Rao, VP marketing, CPD, Sebamed; Promita Saha, vice president, Karukrit; Rajat Srivastava, head of marketing; Rajesh Patel, marketing head, Seiko Watches; Rakhi Sharma, vice president, Jovees; Rohit Dogra, CEO, Matches and Agarbatti Division, ITC; Sandeep Tanwani, CMO, Pidilite; Sarina Menezes, senior vice president, Oberoi Realty; Sheeladitya Mohanty, head of marketing – India, OpenAI; Shruti Kedia, co-founder & head of marketing, Nasher Miles; Sonal Dabral, film director and creative consultant & founder, Tribha; Sonam Pradhan, head – media & digital marketing (South Asia), Kellanova; Subhankar Sengupta, CMO and head alternate channels, IndiaFirst Life; Tushar Malhotra, director – sales & marketing, Bisleri International; Vikas Nair, vice president & head of marketing and communications, Century Real Estate; Zoher Kapuswala, CMO, Ferrero India.

For marketers looking to understand what is changing, what is working, and what comes next, afaqs! Marketers’ Excellence Conference 2026 offers a rare opportunity to learn directly from leaders shaping the future of the industry. 

A room worth being in

The most valuable industry conversations rarely happen in isolation.

They happen when practitioners compare notes, challenge assumptions, and share lessons learned from the front lines of business. The afaqs! Marketers’ Excellence Conference 2026 aims to create precisely that environment.

For marketers navigating AI, evolving consumer expectations, new growth channels, and increasing accountability, the conference offers an opportunity to hear directly from those shaping the industry’s next chapter.