In the flamboyant theatre of India’s A&M industry, where brands have often chased impressions like paparazzi chase celebrities, Sintex has quietly staged a rather subversive plot twist. Instead of shouting louder, it has listened deeper; instead of selling plastic, it has begun narrating health, hygiene and household anxieties with almost anthropological precision.
During a candid conversation with Marketing Mind, Yashovardhan Agarwal MD, Welspun BAPL and Director- Sintex BAPL has spoken less like a corporate executive and more like a curious ethnographer of Indian homes, decoding how a water tank has travelled from terraces to trust, from durability to dignity, and from product to public health proposition.
“We are not just a tank company anymore, we are becoming a health company,” he said, setting the tone for a conversation that has spanned contextual sports marketing, scientific branding, AI-led campaigns, plumber communities as influencers, FMCG-style storytelling and one unforgettable moment where a rural customer recognised the Sintex tank not by name, but by the silhouette of a lion, or that is how it looks like to many.
From Durability To ‘Health-First’: The Great Rebranding & Contextual Marketing Shift
Sintex’s marketing narrative has undergone a deliberate repositioning, moving away from a masculine, durability-centric image toward a more inclusive, health-led storytelling approach.
“The market always talked about durability and layers, but the real purpose of a water tank is to keep your water safe and your family healthy,” Agarwal said.
He explained that consumer research has reshaped communication priorities. “In a family of four or five, you drink maybe 30–40 litres, but you use 700–800 litres for bathing, cleaning vegetables, feeding pets, that’s where health risk actually sits,” he added.
This insight has reshaped advertising tone and messaging. “We have been shifting from a masculine ‘tough tank’ narrative to a ‘family-first’ health narrative, we want to move from being a water tank company to a water company to eventually a health company,” he said.
Sports marketing, including WPL integrations tied to Sintex’s 50-year milestone, has further accelerated this transition. “Contextual marketing has helped us connect legacy with modern audiences, it has allowed us to tell a health story instead of just a product story,” he noted.
Scientific branding has also entered centre stage. “Instead of vague claims, we are talking about antimicrobial CPVC pipes and real R&D-backed features, people are willing to pay for features when you explain the science,” he said.
He added that premium positioning has been balanced with accessibility.
“We are introducing premium innovation but not charging more than existing premium players, we are giving features first and building trust before pricing power,” he said.
Scientific Branding, FMCG Thinking & Community-Led Marketing
Sintex’s marketing strategy has increasingly borrowed from FMCG playbooks, focusing on features, storytelling and behavioural insights. “Earlier categories just said ‘better quality’, we want to explain scientifically why a product is better,” Agarwal said.
He has recalled how market interactions reshaped communication strategy. “When we marketed anti-rat pipes to men, they said they didn’t have rats, but the women of the house knew the reality, that changed how we target communication,” he shared.
Community marketing, especially plumbers and distributors, has emerged as a cornerstone of brand storytelling. “I am not very secure about celebrity culture, community has always been the face of Sintex, even before we entered marketing conversations,” he said.
The Pride app ecosystem has expanded this philosophy. “Our technicians and partners are more credible brand ambassadors because they live the product daily, they are not influencers for a campaign, they are influencers for life,” he said.
He emphasised long-term stakeholder relationships. “We treat distributors like a marriage, not a girlfriend-boyfriend relationship, they stayed with us during tough times, so we stand with them during theirs,” he added.
The onboarding of FMCG veteran Sudeep Chawla has further signalled a shift toward feature-led storytelling. “If you tell consumers exactly what a feature does and how it impacts their lives, they are willing to upgrade, that’s the FMCG learning we are applying,” he said.
AI Anthems, Guinness Records & Transparency Marketing
Sintex’s 50th anniversary AI-generated anthem has signalled a deeper embrace of technology-led marketing and operations.
“AI is not the future, it is already here, we are using it for marketing, quotations, automation and data analysis,” Agarwal has said.
He has added that generative AI will play a bigger role in hyper-local campaigns. “We have built a data lake and are using AI agents to understand customer behaviour, localisation will become sharper in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets,” he noted.
Transparency tools like Wel-Track have also become a brand narrative. “Traceability is about trust, whether consumers scan or trade partners verify, transparency strengthens credibility,” he said.
Even large-scale awareness initiatives like the Guinness World Record water campaign have been positioned beyond one-off publicity. “It is not about a stunt, it is about leaving a lasting impact where people’s lives actually improve, especially in smaller towns,” he explained.
He emphasised intent over marketing theatrics. “We are not doing social initiatives just to advertise, real impact builds the strongest brand equity,” he added.
Brand Recall, Legacy Power & The Logo That Spoke Louder Than Words
Perhaps the most revealing marketing lesson has come from Sintex’s own legacy branding, particularly its logo and recall power.
“Everyone talks about changing logos, but whenever people see Sintex, it instantly clicks,” Agarwal said.
He has narrated a striking market visit that reshaped the company’s rebranding decisions. “We met a woman who couldn’t read Hindi or English, she didn’t even know the word Sintex. She just recognised the lion-like design and said, ‘I want this tank, this one doesn’t break,’” he shared.
That moment has cemented the power of visual memory in advertising strategy. “People sitting in boardrooms don’t always understand what exists in the market, that’s why we have been extremely careful about changing the logo,” he said.
He has highlighted that legacy trust has created organic demand pull. “When supply stopped during difficult times, customers waited weeks and even paid in advance, they didn’t want substitutes,” he added.
Looking ahead, marketing strategy has been evolving alongside macro shifts like urban rejuvenation and infrastructure growth. “We are balancing large developers and individual homeowners, but the core message remains the same, health, trust and long-term value,” he said.
