7th Intl. Marketing Conference held at SDM-IMD

Mysore/Mysuru: “The Indian banking sector is currently undergoing a significant phase of digital transformation. While nearly seven lakh digital transactions take place daily in India — a figure impressive in comparison with many countries — it remains modest when viewed against India’s vast population,” observed Chayan Gupta, National Head – Bancassurance, Aviva India.

Gupta delivered the keynote address at the 7th International Marketing Conference on “Technology and Transformation in Marketing: Advancing Purpose, Performance and Personalisation for Impact,” organised at SDM-IMD, Mysuru recently.

Highlighting the intersection of marketing and technology in the banking sector, he noted that technological advancements have fundamentally altered customer engagement. With most banking activities now conducted online, professionals have fewer direct interactions with customers. However, emerging technologies, particularly generative AI, are helping bridge this gap by enabling deeper customer understanding and more personalised outreach, he noted.

Addressing concerns related to data theft and digital fraud, he stated that while banks are making concerted efforts to safeguard customer interests, financial awareness and discipline among users are equally critical in preventing fraud.

He encouraged individuals to adopt smarter financial practices and explore emerging opportunities within the digital banking ecosystem.

Shedding light on the insurance landscape in India, Gupta revealed that only about 6% of Indians currently hold insurance policies, indicating immense growth potential for the sector.

He further noted that the Government of India has set an ambitious goal to ensure that by 2047, every citizen possesses both a bank account and insurance coverage, thereby enhancing financial inclusion and security through more robust and focused outreach initiatives.

Ashwini Thammaiah, Country Head & Board Member, Isocrates Inc. | MADTECH.AI Inc., who spoke on “Marketing in the Age of Decision Intelligence,” addressed the contemporary challenges faced by marketers and the transformative role of AI in addressing them.

Highlighting how technology can assist marketers in areas such as lead management, automated follow-ups, and budget optimisation, she further explained that AI now enables not only the identification of market issues but also a deeper analysis of their causes and potential solutions.

The inaugural session also featured an address by Mohammed Minhaj, Dean – Academics and Professor -Systems, SDM-IMD, who reflected on the pervasive role of technology across sectors, with AI increasingly taking centre stage.

Dr. Keerthan Raj, Conference Chair and Associate Professor – Marketing, SDM-IMD, introduced the conference theme.

As part of the conference, a special technical session on “Performance Marketing” was conducted by Pawan Kumar Rastogi, Head – E-commerce, TTK Prestige India.

The valedictory session was attended by Gagan Ranka, Vice-President and Head for Home Loan Credit for RoK (Rest of Karnataka) & Goa, HDFC Bank Ltd., and Immediate Past Chairman of CII-Yi Mysuru, who offered insights into the evolution of banking in India and future of marketing leadership in an increasingly technology-driven business environment. A total of 25 research papers were presented at the conference.