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Leaders from Zee Entertainment, Ching’s Secret, Jyothy Labs, and Waman Hari Pethe Jewellers converge to discuss the blurred lines between legacy and new-age marketing in a hyper-connected India
Mumbai, July 16th, 2025: “The distinction between “traditional” and “digital” media is no longer relevant” was the unanimous agreement between top influential business voices from across the consumer goods, media, and luxury sectors! The focus, they agreed, has decisively shifted to a unified, consumer-obsessed approach where engagement, storytelling, and an omnichannel presence are paramount. This was the dramatic conclusion of a timely panel discussion titled “Roots and Reach: Traditional Media’s Evolving Role in a Connected India”, as it explored the modern marketing landscape in India, debating and dissecting the strategies that define brand success in a rapidly transforming digital and physical marketplace
Ajay Gupta, Founder of Capital Foods ( Ching’s Secret); Raghuvendra Katte, AVP, Brand Performance, Jyothy Labs (Ujala); Ashish Pete of the storied 190-year-old Waman Hari Pethe Jewellers; and Ashish Sehgal, Chief Growth Officer at Zee Entertainment Enterprise went deep into the central theme of convergence of marketing strategies. The discussion took off with the moderator highlighting the conundrum of legacy brands increasingly adopting new-age digital platforms while direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands are realizing the necessity of an offline, physical presence to build trust and scale.
Raghuvendra Katte, Assistant Vice President, Jyothy Labs forcefully made the point to discard outdated labels. “I think we should drop this word called ‘traditional.’ There’s no such thing called traditional,” he stated, arguing that all platforms are simply different forms of media. He emphasized that the core objective has evolved, saying, “Earlier, it used to be distribution, distribution, distribution. Today, it is engagement, engagement, engagement. That’s the only measure we should all stick to.”
Ajay Gupta, Managing Director, Capital Foods Pvt. Ltd. shared the entrepreneurial journey of Ching’s Secret, providing powerful real-world examples of this philosophy. He revealed that the brand’s iconic “Desi Chinese” positioning came from observing consumer habits on the street, not from market research reports. He also highlighted the importance of authentic storytelling by choosing to partner with Yash Raj Films to create ad films, rather than a conventional ad agency. Offering advice to new-age entrepreneurs, Gupta cautioned, “You have to get on the ground. D2C is a great platform to build saliency, but it isn’t a business model. Chase the journey, not just the valuation.”
Representing a 116-year-old brand, Ashish Pethe, Partner, Waman Hari Pethe Jewellers spoke about the evolution of a “storied” brand. He explained how consumer priorities have shifted from “trust” to “design” in the jewellery sector, forcing the brand to innovate constantly with fresh collections. He confirmed the move towards an integrated model, stating, “People don’t trust only online players as much… they need a physical presence. We are also doing that, a ‘phygital’ kind of way.”
From the media powerhouse perspective, Ashish Sehgal, Chief Growth Officer, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., detailed how content creation is adapting to this new reality. He described Z’s strategy of curating content for all platforms from long-form television shows that build deep connections to “snackable” digital content featuring the same beloved characters. “It is not about us selling an inventory or an FCT,” Sehgal said. “It is about how we are building brands along with us, taking them on our journey.” He concluded with a powerful vision for the industry: “Rise and rise with Z.”
The consensus from the panel was clear: success in today’s connected India requires a deep, almost obsessive understanding of the consumer. Brands must be present where their consumers are, tell authentic stories that resonate culturally, and seamlessly integrate their online and offline worlds to build lasting relationships.
