Revolutionising Digital Presence: How Martech Transformed Indian Startups
In recent years, the landscape of Indian startups has undergone a profound transformation propelled by Martech, and this fusion of marketing and technology has ushered in a new era of digital presence, revolutionising the way these startups engage with their audiences. From fledgling ventures to established enterprises, the adoption of Martech solutions has become instrumental in shaping their growth trajectories.
This transformation is not merely about leveraging the latest tools and platforms; it represents a fundamental shift in the way Indian startups conceptualise and execute their marketing strategies. By harnessing the power of data analytics, artificial intelligence, and automation, these start-ups are redefining customer targeting, engagement, and conversion optimisation. Moreover, Martech empowers start-ups to personalise their interactions and deliver tailor-made experiences that resonate with diverse consumer segments.
BW Marketing World spoke to industry experts to understand the way Indian startups have implemented Martech solutions to enhance their online visibility and customer engagement and how the utilisation of data analytics and AI in Martech influences the decision-making processes of Indian startup leaders.
Indian Startups Implementing Martech To Enhance Online Visibility & Customer Engagement
Indian startups have been leveraging Martech solutions to elevate their online visibility and foster deeper customer engagement, driving innovation and growth in the digital landscape.
The surge in Martech startups in India reflects the growing demand for advanced marketing solutions in a digital-first era. India's MarTech sector is expected to grow at a CAGR of 25 per cent and reach $100 billion by 2025.
Sukhleen Aneja, CEO, Good Brands Co, Good Glamm Group points out, “These startups are leveraging AI-based marketing automation, programmatic advertising, and consumer insights to cater to this demand. By adopting sophisticated tools and technologies, startups can personalise messaging, analyse consumer behaviour, and optimise marketing campaigns for maximum impact. This strategic implementation of Martech solutions has enabled Indian start-ups to stay competitive in the global market while transforming the country's business landscape.”
From the lens of Prabhvir Sahmey, Senior Director India, Samsung Ads, startups have been slightly more aggressive in adopting a lot of digital technologies as compared to some of the larger brands, not only from the perspective of advertising but also from the point of view of customer service fulfilment follow-ups. Some great examples are out there – one of those is the moment you place an order, you'll get a WhatsApp message that your order is in - confirming the address, reminding if it's a perishable product etc, he states.
Like many, Manas Gulati, Co-founder & CEO, Arm Worldwide too understands that Martech has automated a lot of tasks which used to happen manually. “Integration of all business-end things with marketing has played a big role. And India in particular has graduated to more of an automated sort of an environment - I think we're moving in good stead. We're still not there in terms of totally adopting the newer technologies, but we're getting there and we are ahead of many other countries in that.
Nothing back in the day was adopted well – contrary to yester years, now, programmatic plays a huge role. The data is out there and it's real-time as well, through AI and processes and recommendations in a very agile manner, you are getting the best possible scenario out of a certain medium. This makes me come to the point that you're not doing a post-facto analysis of a certain thing, but you're getting the best possible things which can happen through a certain medium even before the campaign ends. So decision-making has become much easier because you don't have to go through the grind of looking at each campaign separately, but you can see all cohorts and the best-performing ones in one go across mediums.”
Use Of Data Analytics & AI In Martech Influencing Decisions Of Indian Startup Leaders
Within the dynamic landscape of Indian startups, the infusion of data analytics and AI in Martech has sparked a transformative wave.
Aneja gives a first-person account of her experience, “I've witnessed firsthand the profound impact of AI-based marketing automation on our decision-making processes. The rise of AI isn't just a trend; it's a fundamental shift reshaping how we engage with our audience and drive growth. By leveraging AI-powered tools, we're not just automating tasks; we're unlocking deeper insights into consumer behaviour, predicting trends, and crafting hyper-personalised experiences.”
She goes on to add, “This data-driven approach isn't just about efficiency; it's about forging genuine connections with our audience, fostering loyalty, and driving sustainable growth. In the competitive landscape of today, AI isn't just a tool; it's our strategic compass guiding us towards brand enhancement.”
Gulati brings out that in most cases, there's only one objective, but in a lot of cases, it's a dual objective. “Some people say that it's awareness. But at the end goal, I need some sales as well. I think that has eased off a bit in the sense that you're able to determine the ratios of monies to be spent on awareness and otherwise through AI technology because the Indian startup ecosystem would largely benefit only if the business conversions happen.
You can tom-tom about doing a TVC or otherwise, but at the end of the day, the conversions should happen, which to a startup ecosystem is very important. So performance plays a big role. And even the fact that new age startups are using and doing a certain bit of awareness if the attribution modelling can happen directly into something which is giving you convergence, I think that's where AI and technology and analytics is working very well.”
Sahmey views this from a different angle, “I think it is still early days because a lot of data and a lot of companies are still not fully acquainted with what technology can do. There is also a concern about sensitive data getting into the public domain because a lot of AI tools do make your data sets available in public repositories. Therefore, within the circle of or within the network that I've been part of, it has been very tip-toeing into very basic stuff, largely because either they do not have the talent to manage it or they're worried that some of this data will become public and that can be detrimental to some of the decisions that they would want to take. So in my experience over the last six to nine months, where AI has been sort of flavour of the season, I've not seen many people use it to the capacity that has been shown in some of the videos out there.”
Delving deeper into this phenomenon, it becomes evident that Martech is not just a trend but a paradigm shift that is propelling Indian startups towards unprecedented levels of success and competitiveness in the global arena, but still, some areas remain unearthed.
