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Storytellers 101 Communications Appoints Akshat Jain As Managing Director

Akshat Jain joins Storytellers 101 Communications as Managing Director, bringing close to two decades of experience in strategic communications, reputation management and media relations across automotive, FMCG, corporate and consumer sectors, with prior stints at Weber Shandwick India, Perfect Relations, and Allied Blenders & Distillers.

MM Desk by MM Desk
May 11, 2026
in Marketing, People Spotting
A A
Storytellers 101 Communications Appoints Akshat Jain As Managing Director

Storytellers 101 Communications has appointed Akshat Jain as Managing Director, as the agency looks to strengthen its leadership team and accelerate its next phase of growth and expansion. Jain brings close to two decades of experience in strategic communications, reputation management and media relations across the automotive, corporate, FMCG, and consumer sectors.

Over the course of his career, he has worked with brands including Tata Motors, Yamaha, Jaguar Land Rover, Jeep, FIAT, Kinetic Green, Simple Energy, Castrol and Greaves Cotton, among others.

Prior to joining Storytellers 101 Communications, Jain served as Vice President at Weber Shandwick India, where he spent over eight-and-a-half years leading mobility and corporate mandates. During his tenure, he worked on integrated communication strategies, leadership positioning, product launches, crisis communication and reputation management initiatives for several leading brands.

Before Weber Shandwick India, he was associated with Perfect Relations and Allied Blenders & Distillers, building expertise across corporate communications, crisis management and media engagement.

In his new role, Jain will focus on strengthening the agency’s communications capabilities, scaling integrated mandates, mentoring teams and driving growth across emerging and high-impact sectors.

Commenting on the appointment, Leon De Souza, Founder & CEO, Storytellers 101 Communications, said, “Storytellers 101 has grown steadily over the past 12 years, and bringing Akshat on board is an important step in strengthening our senior leadership team. His experience will further add depth to the agency as we continue to grow. We are excited to have him with us, and this is also part of a larger plan to bring in more senior industry talent in the near future. ”

Devendra Singh, COO, Storytellers 101 Communications, added, “Akshat has built strong knowledge of the communications ecosystem across sectors over the years, and we are happy to have him on board. As we look at expanding into new verticals, his experience will be key in further strengthening our communications capabilities and ensuring we continue to build on the strong foundation we have created.”

Speaking on his new role, Akshat Jain, Managing Director, Storytellers 101 Communications, said, “What excited me most about Storytellers 101 is its entrepreneurial energy, creative mindset and strong focus on impactful storytelling. The communications landscape today demands authenticity, agility and culturally relevant narratives, and that is something the agency strongly believes in. I look forward to working closely with Leon and the team to build meaningful communication strategies, nurture talent and create impactful stories that drive both brand reputation and business growth.”

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Every marketer talks about building awareness, few have to build it without talking about the product. India's alcobev industry has spent decades navigating that paradox. Direct product advertising isn't permitted, making surrogate advertising only one part of the marketing equation. The bigger challenge has always been earning something no media budget can buy: consumers who become advocates for the brand. For Debasree Dasgupta, Chief Marketing Officer, Pernod Ricard India, that's the category's biggest truth. “Consumers will always be your biggest advertisers,” she said. It's a philosophy born out of necessity. But it has also shaped how alcobev brands think about marketing itself. “The principles of marketing are the same whether it's personal care, beauty or alcobev. What changes is the complexity.” That complexity, according to Dasgupta, isn't just about navigating regulations. It's about understanding consumers, managing a diverse portfolio, and ensuring brands continue to grow despite having fewer traditional marketing levers than almost any other consumer category. India remains one of the world's most tightly regulated alcohol markets, where brands have to navigate different state regulations, on-trade and off-trade ecosystems, and restrictions on advertising products directly. For marketers, that has meant learning an entirely different language of brand building. Marketing hasn't changed, The rulebook has Dasgupta's own career has prepared her for exactly that. Rather than following a straight path, she has moved across FMCG, health and hygiene, beverages and now alcobev, picking up different lessons along the way. “I think the beauty is that I didn't have a linear career path, and I think it was very deliberate and intentional.” Each company, she said, has added a different layer to her understanding of marketing. “Unilever taught me to be extremely consumer-centric and always keep the consumer at the heart. Reckitt taught me commercial discipline, that marketing needs to lead to commercial and business growth. PepsiCo was about how brands stay relevant in culture.” Bringing those experiences together at Pernod Ricard has reinforced one belief. “The principles of marketing remain the same.” The environment, however, certainly doesn't. While referring to India as one of the markets where alcohol advertising is prohibited, she said, “The regulatory landscape is quite complex. That's the piece that one needs to wrap their minds around as you navigate and ensure that you're able to drive business growth.” That complexity extends well beyond regulation. “At a portfolio level, it's important for us to understand what is delivering the present and what will deliver tomorrow,” she said. “Where is growth coming from today, and where will growth come from in the future?” When consumers become the media channel Perhaps the biggest difference between alcobev and traditional consumer goods lies in how brands create awareness. Unlike an FMCG company, Pernod Ricard cannot advertise its alcohol products directly. “So the disadvantage that we have versus CPG is we cannot advertise products,” Dasgupta said. “We are in compliance with the guidelines that exist today.” Instead, the company builds visibility through compliant brand extensions such as packaged drinking water, while investing in passion points like cricket, music and digital platforms. “For us, the brand extension is a compliant business in itself and we can advertise that. We continue to double down on social, digital and influencer marketing for those businesses.” Furthermore, Dasgupta went on to say, “What we rely on is on-premise advocacy. We rely on sampling. We ensure that our liquids are extremely high quality so that when the moment of truth happens, consumers really love the product.” That has also meant new launches take longer to build. “Awareness build-up is much slower because consumers discover the product at the point of sale. That's very different from an FMCG brand.” Which naturally raises another question: if brands can't advertise products, who does the selling? “The consumers will always be your biggest advertisers,” Dasgupta said. “If you walk into an outlet and see someone drinking, it gives you confidence in the brand.” Word of mouth, she believes, becomes one of the category's most powerful marketing channels. “In a category where you can't advertise the product, consumers become your champions.” That consumer-first philosophy also shapes how global brands are adapted for India. For marketers outside the alcobev industry, the constraints may seem daunting. For Dasgupta, they've simply reinforced a timeless lesson. When the product can't do the talking, the brand, and ultimately the consumer, has to.
Feature

Consumers Are Our Biggest Advertisers: Pernod Ricard India’s Debasree Dasgupta On Surrogate Advertising

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Every marketer talks about building awareness, few have to build it without talking about the product. India's alcobev industry has...

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Every marketer talks about building awareness, few have to build it without talking about the product. India's alcobev industry has spent decades navigating that paradox. Direct product advertising isn't permitted, making surrogate advertising only one part of the marketing equation. The bigger challenge has always been earning something no media budget can buy: consumers who become advocates for the brand. For Debasree Dasgupta, Chief Marketing Officer, Pernod Ricard India, that's the category's biggest truth. “Consumers will always be your biggest advertisers,” she said. It's a philosophy born out of necessity. But it has also shaped how alcobev brands think about marketing itself. “The principles of marketing are the same whether it's personal care, beauty or alcobev. What changes is the complexity.” That complexity, according to Dasgupta, isn't just about navigating regulations. It's about understanding consumers, managing a diverse portfolio, and ensuring brands continue to grow despite having fewer traditional marketing levers than almost any other consumer category. India remains one of the world's most tightly regulated alcohol markets, where brands have to navigate different state regulations, on-trade and off-trade ecosystems, and restrictions on advertising products directly. For marketers, that has meant learning an entirely different language of brand building. Marketing hasn't changed, The rulebook has Dasgupta's own career has prepared her for exactly that. Rather than following a straight path, she has moved across FMCG, health and hygiene, beverages and now alcobev, picking up different lessons along the way. “I think the beauty is that I didn't have a linear career path, and I think it was very deliberate and intentional.” Each company, she said, has added a different layer to her understanding of marketing. “Unilever taught me to be extremely consumer-centric and always keep the consumer at the heart. Reckitt taught me commercial discipline, that marketing needs to lead to commercial and business growth. PepsiCo was about how brands stay relevant in culture.” Bringing those experiences together at Pernod Ricard has reinforced one belief. “The principles of marketing remain the same.” The environment, however, certainly doesn't. While referring to India as one of the markets where alcohol advertising is prohibited, she said, “The regulatory landscape is quite complex. That's the piece that one needs to wrap their minds around as you navigate and ensure that you're able to drive business growth.” That complexity extends well beyond regulation. “At a portfolio level, it's important for us to understand what is delivering the present and what will deliver tomorrow,” she said. “Where is growth coming from today, and where will growth come from in the future?” When consumers become the media channel Perhaps the biggest difference between alcobev and traditional consumer goods lies in how brands create awareness. Unlike an FMCG company, Pernod Ricard cannot advertise its alcohol products directly. “So the disadvantage that we have versus CPG is we cannot advertise products,” Dasgupta said. “We are in compliance with the guidelines that exist today.” Instead, the company builds visibility through compliant brand extensions such as packaged drinking water, while investing in passion points like cricket, music and digital platforms. “For us, the brand extension is a compliant business in itself and we can advertise that. We continue to double down on social, digital and influencer marketing for those businesses.” Furthermore, Dasgupta went on to say, “What we rely on is on-premise advocacy. We rely on sampling. We ensure that our liquids are extremely high quality so that when the moment of truth happens, consumers really love the product.” That has also meant new launches take longer to build. “Awareness build-up is much slower because consumers discover the product at the point of sale. That's very different from an FMCG brand.” Which naturally raises another question: if brands can't advertise products, who does the selling? “The consumers will always be your biggest advertisers,” Dasgupta said. “If you walk into an outlet and see someone drinking, it gives you confidence in the brand.” Word of mouth, she believes, becomes one of the category's most powerful marketing channels. “In a category where you can't advertise the product, consumers become your champions.” That consumer-first philosophy also shapes how global brands are adapted for India. For marketers outside the alcobev industry, the constraints may seem daunting. For Dasgupta, they've simply reinforced a timeless lesson. When the product can't do the talking, the brand, and ultimately the consumer, has to.

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