Teachers’ Day has not always meant chalk dust and blackboards. In the world of marketing, the ‘gurus’ have often shown up in unexpected forms, a fearless entrepreneur who has spotted opportunity in chaos, a tough boss who has refused to lower the bar, a sister whose integrity has set the standard, or even a scrappy market that has forced one to do more with less.
This year, some of India’s top marketers have opened up about the teachers who have shaped them, the lessons they have lived by, and the wisdom they have hoped future professionals will carry forward. True to their craft, their answers have been part storytelling, part strategy, and entirely unforgettable.
For Alok Arya, CMO of Equentis Wealth, Kishore Biyani has been the figure who has left the deepest imprint. “He could see patterns in chaos and opportunities where others saw risk,” Arya has recalled, adding that the greatest gift Biyani has passed on has been “the art of learning to unlearn.”
Sarat Sinha, CMO of Agami Realty, has remembered Manoj John, his first boss, whose clarity has remained unmatched. “His briefings used to be simple and to the point,” Sinha has said. “One of the most important points from his lessons which I have kept to this day is the need to have a clear marketing vision for any organisation. Just as important is having the necessary systems in place to measure ROI and use that data to improve the marketing approaches on a rolling basis.”
For Nakul Kumar, Co-Founder and CMO of Cashify, a mentor has reframed marketing altogether. “Marketing isn’t just about selling a product, it’s about creating genuine connections. Always solve for the customer first, the rest will follow.”
Nikita Singh, Marketing, Brand and Digital Specialist at Fortis Healthcare, has credited her sister Minka Singh. “Minka has been my truest mentor – not because she’s worked in marketing and product development, but because she embodies the qualities most campaigns pretend to stand for: clarity, integrity, and the courage to stand up for what’s right, even when it isn’t convenient.” she said.
Professionally, she has named Rashmi Kaul, Business Head at Bennett Coleman, who has instilled the truth that “purpose without authenticity is just packaging.”
Kartik Mahadev, CMO of Z, has counted both people and situations as his teachers. From Cadbury mentors who have reminded him to look into “the whites of the consumer’s eyes” to unpredictable briefs that have trained him to do more with less, Mahadev’s career has been a classroom in itself.
And for Nisha Khatri, Head of Marketing at Libas, the toughest bosses have transformed her path. “They pushed me out of my comfort zone, set a very high bar, and instilled a seed of ambition that has still driven me today.”
And for Ashish Bajaj, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Narayana Health, one of the most influential lessons has come from Shagun Gupta, his manager during his time at GroupM. “She has taught me how to remain calm even in high-pressure or adverse situations and think about how to solve it instead of sulking about the situation I have been in.”
When it has come to the lessons they have wanted to pass on, the reflections have grown even more personal. Arya has believed that everything has come down to human decision-making. “Industries change, tech evolves, but at the end of the day, you’re always trying to shift perception, behaviour, or belief.”
Sinha has spoken of engagement marketing as the lesson he has carried forward. “Over the years, I have been able to use and apply engagement marketing in multiple organisations. This technique has not been limited to customer engagement and interactions. It has involved the identification and determined efforts to analyse and engage all the relevant stakeholder groups, employees, suppliers, the community, and the investors.”
Kumar has urged patience: “Bold ideas take time to be understood and accepted, don’t give up just because the results haven’t been immediate.”
Singh has warned against chasing attention at all costs. “Don’t confuse visibility with value. A flash of attention can be manufactured, but trust has to be earned, slowly, steadily, sometimes painfully.”
Mahadev has insisted that purpose has steadied every journey. “Saccha leads to accha. Do the small things with honesty, and the big opportunities follow.”
Khatri, meanwhile, has focused on ambition, building what she calls “ninja teams”, groups that have thrived on challenges and seen feedback as proof of belief in their potential.
And Bajaj has been clear about what others should take from his journey: “No shortcuts, only hard work and your willingness to do more.”
And when it has come to the insights they wish every marketer would carry forward, the advice has turned sharp and memorable. Arya has distilled his philosophy into three words: Listen. Localize. Leap. “If your marketing doesn’t scare the CFO at least once annually, you’re not pushing enough,” he has said with a grin.
Sinha has expanded his belief in engagement marketing: “True engagement marketing has meant cultivating relationships that create value from and to each of these groups for a sustained period of time, as well as an alignment to business objectives.”
Kumar has reframed marketing as conversation: “The smallest WhatsApp chat, a store interaction, a social comment, they have shaped the biggest business decisions.”
For Singh, marketing has never been persuasion but responsibility. “Especially in healthcare, every word we have put out has carried weight. We have not just shaped perception; we have shaped decisions that affect lives.”
Mahadev has urged younger marketers to stay curious above all. “Don’t wait for the dream job. Live its qualities, demonstrate its skills, and soon enough it will become yours.”
And Khatri has pointed to her inspirations, Steve Jobs and Taylor Swift, who have both mastered the art of anticipating needs before consumers themselves. “They didn’t just build products or albums, they built ecosystems of belonging.”
And Bajaj has summed up his mantra with equal clarity: “Take responsibility for building culture in your team, the rest the team will build. I am as good as my team.”
So, on this Teachers’ Day, it has become clear that the most memorable classrooms have not always been in schools. They have been in boardrooms and brainstorming sessions, in crises that have demanded resilience, and in conversations with mentors who have asked the right questions at the right time. If there has been one common thread across these stories, it is this: the best lessons have never just been learned, they have been carried forward and passed on.
