Summit Overview

On October 9, 2026, Can Image – a rural advertising and digital wall‑printing company – in association with ET Edge, a Times Group B2B intelligence platform, convened the Rural Marketing Summit 2026 in Mumbai. The event, themed “The Power of Presence,” brought together marketing leaders, brand custodians and industry experts to discuss how brands should rethink rural marketing in India.

Core Message

Speakers collectively argued that rural India can no longer be treated as a single, homogeneous market or a separate audience. They emphasized that brands must move beyond the traditional rural‑urban divide, recognise rural consumers as increasingly informed, aspirational and diverse, and build communication that reflects lived realities, cultural contexts and local nuances.

Key Themes and Insights

  • Consumer Evolution: Shefali Khalsa (Senior Director & Head of Marketing and PR, TransUnion CIBIL) cited a cab driver who knew his CIBIL score, illustrating rising financial awareness. Prashant Choudhari (Head – Marketing, Fino Payments Bank) highlighted aspiration and premiumisation, while Pushkal Upadhayay (AVP – Crop Solutions & Services, Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals) framed the rural consumer through affordability, aspiration and value. V. Kaushik Vedula (Vice President Marketing – India and South Asia, Castrol India) stressed balancing affordability with aspiration.
  • Diversity Over Homogeneity: Rupa Murudkar (Vice President Marketing, Cholayil Private Limited – Medimix) warned that classifying audiences by geography masks differences in income, occupation and consumption. K. Adaikalam (DGM, Market Development & Customer Service, Greenstar Fertilizers) described rural consumers as heterogeneous, actively analysing and comparing options.
  • Media Strategy: Puneet Avasthi (Director – Specialist Businesses, South Asia, Kantar) highlighted opportunities across categories, especially the growing role of women in household spending. Monish Debnath (Brand Marketing & Growth Leader) challenged the notion that rural messaging must be simplified, noting rising education levels. Girish Hingorani (Vice President, Marketing – Unitary Cooling Products Group, Blue Star) pointed out demand for premium durables in smaller towns.
  • Cultural Relevance: Actor Ashish Vidyarthi underscored the importance of regional festivals, food and traditions in shaping brand resonance. Prasoon Joshi (Chairman, Prasar Bharati India & Omnicom Advertising India) urged marketers to view rural consumers as part of a continuous aspirational spectrum rather than “them,” and to recognise innovations emerging from rural constraints.

Speaker Highlights on Brand Identity

Prasoon Pandey (Co‑founder & Director, Corcoise Films) used Fevicol as a case study, arguing that enduring brands are built on distinctive character and voice, not merely visual consistency. He advocated drawing inspiration from real‑life observations across India’s diverse communities. Rohit Arora (Director – Strategy, Can Image Media Tech) reinforced that treating rural India as a single audience risks eroding trust, and emphasized that every campaign is verified wall‑by‑wall through GPS‑tagged installations.

Technology and Services of Can Image

Can Image operates a proprietary Digital Wall Printing Media – a water‑activated, plastic‑free and PVC‑free film that converts to print on wall surfaces. The company manufactures the media, prints creatives and deploys them via its own field network, with each installation GPS‑tagged and photographed for verification. Its client roster includes Coca‑Cola, Cadbury, Nestlé, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), UPL Ltd, Reckitt Benckiser and Johnson & Johnson.

Recognition of Excellence

The summit concluded with an “Excellence in Rural Marketing” ceremony, honoring individuals and organisations that have advanced brand engagement, consumer connections and innovative approaches in India’s rural and semi‑urban markets.

Organiser Profiles

  • Can Image: Rural advertising arm of CAN Image Media Tech Pvt Ltd, headquartered in Mumbai, specializing in digital wall printing across rural and semi‑urban India.
  • ET Edge: An initiative of The Times Group, positioned as India’s leading B2B intelligence, community and market platform since 2015, curating thought‑leadership events.

Disclaimer

The press release is provided under an arrangement with NRDPL. PTI assumes no editorial responsibility for the content.