India a live laboratory for consumer intelligence, core to Kantar's growth, says CEO Zwillenberg

Mumbai: When Kantar global chief executive Paul Zwillenberg talks about growth, he doesn't start with London or New York. He starts with India. Long viewed as a high-potential but volatile market, India is now central to the world's largest data and insights company's strategy, according to the British executive, who took over late last year.

"India is no longer just an emerging market story for us. It is core to how we think about innovation, scale and long-term growth," Zwillenberg told ET in an exclusive interview. "It's one of the most important countries for us as a business, not just in terms of our local market and global clients that we serve out of here, but it's also a big centre for us in terms of research, delivery and analytics."

At a time when quick commerce is surging and home-grown brands expanding rapidly, he described India as a live laboratory for the next era of consumer intelligence and a template for growth in other markets.


India is not a single market in terms of languages, income tiers and consumption habits, according to Zwillenberg. What works in Mumbai may fail in Lucknow; a product popular in Bengaluru's tech corridors may struggle in Bihar. For data firms, this fragmentation is a challenge and an opportunity. The country's consumer economy is evolving in real time. Quick-commerce riders race to deliver groceries in under ten minutes. Startups experiment with premium ayurvedic beauty brands. MNCs recalibrate supply chains to serve smaller towns where aspirations are increasing as quickly as data speeds.

"This is where the future is being stress-tested," Zwillenberg said, gesturing toward the skyline.

Founded in 1992 and carved out as a standalone data and insights group under WPP, Kantar grew into one of the world's largest market research networks through a series of acquisitions. For Kantar, India is among the top five markets globally and one of its fastest-growing. However, India's internal role is shifting. The country is home to the company's chief scientist and large analytics teams developing artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools that are reshaping how brands test advertising, evaluate product ideas and measure equity.

"In fact, two of our top five products or services were invented in India in the last decade," Zwillenberg said. "When I look at India, I don't just look at the domestic market. I look at where the work gets done, how the work gets done, our new products and services, and it all points to India."

For instance, tasks that once took weeks, such as ad testing and generating recommendations, can now be truncated in minutes using generative AI integrated with Kantar's proprietary data, according to the company.

But Kantar now faces challenges from AI-native startups, consulting firms and large technology companies offering analytics tools. "Continuous training and education will be critical if India is to realise its full potential," said Zwillenberg. "AI and digitisation are changing the competitive landscape. In the past, it was relatively simple. Now we have to think about the broader ecosystem."