Santosh Desai is a celebrated brand guru, columnist, and strategic consultant who is a leading authority on the evolving nature of consumer culture and brands in India. His expertise, honed over 21 years in advertising, is defined by his ability to seamlessly connect culture and marketing, translating the most complex concepts through simple, everyday references.
An alumnus of IIM-Ahmedabad, Desai served as the President of McCann-Erickson, one of India’s premier advertising agencies, where he was involved in strategically building many key brands for numerous local and multinational organizations. He is currently the MD & CEO of Futurebrands, a brand and consumer consultancy company, focusing his professional life on examining the evolving nature of consumer culture in India.
Desai is a keen observer and prolific writer on contemporary Indian society, notably through his weekly column “City City Bang Bang” in The Times of India. His book, Mother Pious Lady: Making Sense of Everyday India, explores cultural truths from an everyday vantage point. He asserts that his goal in writing is to look at things with innocent doubt, fostering the emergence of fresh perspectives and clarity.
As a highly engaging speaker, Santosh Desai enjoys connecting and sharing ideas with a variety of audiences across a multitude of platforms. He has served as a guest lecturer at various national and international universities and has addressed the global management boards of major corporations, including Microsoft, Philips, and Coca-Cola. His talks provide crucial insights for organizations seeking to master the cultural context of the Indian consumer.
