What’s the most disruptive campaign, idea, or marketing move you’ve led recently, and what made it stand out?
“The Great In-Game Wedding” was one of the most disruptive ideas we’ve executed because it turned BGMI into aninherently Indian cultural stage rather than a game. The idea stood out because it was rooted in a very real emotional truth, players who fell in love while playing BGMI, got married!
It worked because it wasn’t just a marketing campaign; it was world-building inspired by the community itself, with popular Youtubers and fashion designers participating with equal enthusiasm as 200,000 players. It was proof that gaming can shape cultural moments just as powerfully as traditional entertainment.
What was the spark behind that idea? What insight, challenge, or moment led you to break away from the norm?
The spark came from noticing how deeply social, gaming has become in India, friendships, communities, even life milestones now form inside these virtual worlds. When I saw real BGMI couples becoming cultural icons, it became clear that the brand’s emotional centre lay in fan stories, not brand narratives.That insight encouraged us to step back and let the community lead. It showed us that the most powerful ideas come from observing human behaviour, not manufacturing it.
In today’s cluttered market, what does “disruption” truly mean to you as a CMO/Marketing Head?
Disruption today is about truth and cultural intuition, not shock value. Gen Z instantly rejects anything that feels manufactured, so the only way to stand out is to be deeply authentic and instill a sense of purpose on why they follow a brand. Let’s take Anime, we have collaborated with Dragon Ball Super and Attack on Titan in the past, but to follow through on our focus on Anime, we brought together 8 incredible talented Indian studios and brought BGMI stories through works of beautiful Anime in an anthological series, Lies Loot and Legacy. The response was 373M views and counting, and some incredibly heartfelt appreciation from fans everywhere. We execute what we stand for, and that’s what makes our fans stand up for us, time and again.
What consumer shift, trend, or platform are you currently obsessed with, and why?
It’s popular knowledge that short videos are in vogue. But the formats of content that is being consumed, is also changing. Completely unscripted videos, insider jokes, and organic conversations on shaky cams are building strong narratives like never before. Additionally, we have seen an incredible surge in concerts, so working with musicians like Alan Walker, MC Stan, authentic collaborations with GenZ stars like Carry Minati and Not Your Type, gave us insanely trending content and bought us cult fandom among our loyal fans. And guess what, we are bringing back our homegrown animated show, Lies, Loot and Legacy due to popular demand back in 2026, because data is clearly pointing towards animated content being the fastest growing content segment in the past two years.
How do you see AI shaping the future of marketing, and how are you or your brand currently exploring it?
AI is going to make marketing far more personalised, but the real opportunity lies in how it can help us understand users, consumers and players at scale. We at KRAFTON india already use AI to improve player insights, content iteration, and in-game systems, but the soul of our storytelling still comes from fans.AI can accelerate creativity, not replace it, and the brands that win will be the ones that maintain human intuition at the centre.
Where do you personally draw inspiration from when crafting campaigns or brand stories? (Can be people, platforms, books, moments, etc.)
I draw inspiration from everyday cultural moments, the way people express identity, humour, and emotion online. Personally, content creators are my favorite, because the competition is cut-throat, and they adapt rapidly to the needs of their fanbases, which is exactly what we intend to do. Marrying the agility of a content creator to the production value of a mega-brand that we are, is my ultimate goal for all campaigns. Beyond that, observing how trends form, evolve, and fade across communities gives incredible insight into what resonates today. I also learn a lot from creators, design craft from different industries, and the broader content ecosystem that keeps reinventing how stories can be told.
What’s one marketing rule you love to break,and why?
I love centering most campaigns around direct comments on our YouTube and Instagram releases. Today’s audiences shape the conversation as much as the brand does, and leaning into that fluidity creates more authentic and relatable work. I believe in building frameworks, not fixed scripts, it gives room for culture, community, and real-time behaviour to influence the story.
What future opportunities or trends are shaping your 2026 marketing vision for the brand?
Three forces that are shaping the 2026 vision are regional cultural storytelling, animated content and brand integrations that live inside the game with brands and young fans adore. Our Mahindra Be6 video was a 3D animation work of art that clocked millions of views within hours, our collaborations with Dragon Ball Super, McLaren and Transformers have set up the stage for more GenZ focused collabs.The next wave of gaming marketing in India will be about shared cultural moments, not just shared screens.