Media's Brand India Responsibility Beyond Storytelling: Shankar
- 1Uday Shankar addressed FICCI FRAMES in September 2026, emphasizing media's critical role in shaping Brand India's global perception.
- 2He argued that media companies must move beyond profit-driven content to embrace diverse storytelling that reflects India's complexity.
- 3Shankar highlighted that news, entertainment, and sports content collectively shape society's imagination and India's soft power.
- 4The veteran media executive stressed that fragmented, sensationalist narratives undermine India's position as a cultural superpower.
- 5His intervention comes as Indian media companies increasingly compete on global streaming platforms and international markets.
Former Star India CEO calls for diverse narratives across news, entertainment, and sports at FICCI FRAMES.
Uday Shankar, one of India's most influential media veterans and former President of The Walt Disney Company APAC, delivered a pointed message to the industry at FICCI FRAMES in September 2026: Indian media must recognize its outsized responsibility in building Brand India. Speaking to an audience of media leaders and policymakers, Shankar challenged the industry to move beyond commercial imperatives and embrace its role as a custodian of India's global narrative.
Diverse Storytelling as National Imperative
Shankar's core argument centered on the power of diverse storytelling across news, entertainment, and sports—three pillars that collectively shape how India sees itself and how the world perceives the nation. He cautioned against the current trend of homogenized, algorithm-driven content that prioritizes engagement over authenticity. For a country as multifaceted as India, with 22 official languages, multiple religions, and vast cultural diversity, media content that reflects only narrow narratives does a disservice to the nation's soft power potential. Shankar emphasized that entertainment particularly carries the burden of cultural diplomacy, as Indian streaming content now reaches over 180 countries. When Bollywood, regional cinema, and OTT platforms present one-dimensional stories, they squander opportunities to showcase India's complexity to global audiences.
Media's Role in Shaping Societal Imagination
The former Star India CEO, who transformed Indian broadcasting during his tenure, argued that media doesn't merely reflect society—it actively shapes societal imagination and aspiration. News channels that resort to polarizing coverage, entertainment that reinforces stereotypes, and sports broadcasting that ignores emerging disciplines all contribute to a narrowed national vision. Shankar pointed out that Indian media has the infrastructure, talent, and reach to compete globally, but often lacks the editorial courage to tell difficult, nuanced stories. This becomes particularly relevant as Indian brands seek to establish global credibility. When media content undermines social cohesion or presents India through a fractured lens, it directly impacts how international consumers and business partners view Indian enterprises and capabilities.
Brand India and Commercial Sustainability
Addressing the elephant in the room—profitability—Shankar acknowledged that media businesses cannot ignore commercial realities. However, he challenged the false dichotomy between responsible storytelling and business success. He cited examples of content that achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success by respecting audience intelligence. For media companies eyeing international expansion and partnerships with global platforms, investing in quality, diverse content isn't altruism—it's strategic positioning. Brand India's strength directly correlates with the premiums Indian media companies can command in international markets, the talent they can attract, and the regulatory environment they operate within.
Shankar's intervention arrives at a critical juncture for Indian marketing and brand strategy. As Indian companies increasingly position themselves as global players—from Tata's acquisition ambitions to startup unicorns expanding across Asia and Africa—the media environment becomes infrastructure for brand building, not just a channel for advertising. Marketing leaders should recognize that fragmented, sensationalist media ecosystems create higher costs for brand building. When consumers are bombarded with polarizing content, brand messages emphasizing unity, aspiration, and progress face headwinds. Conversely, media that showcases India's innovation, cultural depth, and diversity creates a rising tide that lifts all brands.
The implications extend beyond content partnerships and media planning. Chief Marketing Officers and brand strategists must become active stakeholders in media accountability. This means making conscious decisions about which platforms receive advertising rupees, demanding better content standards through industry bodies, and potentially investing in content that aligns with brand values. As Shankar suggests, building Brand India isn't the government's responsibility alone—it's a collective imperative for everyone with a stake in India's global perception, and few stakeholders have more at risk than marketers representing Indian brands on the world stage.
The media environment is not neutral terrain—it actively shapes the context in which brands operate. For senior marketers, Shankar's message translates into a strategic mandate: evaluate media partnerships not just on reach and efficiency, but on their contribution to the broader Brand India narrative. As Indian companies compete globally, the soft power created by responsible, diverse media becomes a competitive advantage. Marketing leaders should leverage their significant media spends to incentivize quality storytelling, support diverse voices, and hold media partners accountable for content that builds rather than erodes India's global standing.
This article is an editorial rewrite based on reporting originally published by The Economic Times. The original article has been rewritten and contextualised for India's marketing community by The Wise Marketing Desk using AI-assisted editorial tools.
Read original article at The Economic TimesFound this useful? Share it with your network.
Get India's best marketing news, daily.
Join 5,000+ marketing professionals reading The Wise Marketing.