Santosh Desai

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Santosh Desai is a highly respected business strategist, brand expert, and thought leader with decades of experience in advertising, marketing, and consumer insights. With a deep understanding of how culture influences markets and people, Santosh has become one of India’s foremost voices on brands, society, and communication. His insights are sought after by businesses, academic institutions, and audiences across the world.

An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, Santosh spent much of his career shaping the strategy and creative direction of major brands. He served as President of McCann-Erickson India, one of the country’s leading advertising agencies, and later as Managing Director and CEO of Future brands, a premier brand and consumer consultancy.

Santosh’s ability to explain complex ideas in simple, relatable terms has made him a popular speaker and columnist. For over two decades, his weekly column “City City Bang Bang” in The Times of India explored contemporary Indian life and culture with wit, insight, and empathy. His bestselling book, Mother Pious Lady: Making Sense of Everyday India, explores the evolving character of India’s middle class and earned praise for its perceptive look at daily life in the world’s largest democracy.

Beyond writing, Santosh has been a keynote speaker at major advertising and business forums across India and internationally. He has also served as a guest lecturer at universities and addressed senior leadership and management teams of global corporations.

Today, Santosh continues to shape thinking about brands, culture, and leadership. He serves on the boards and governing councils of several prominent companies and educational institutions and most recently was appointed an Independent Director on the Board of Nykaa, a leading beauty and lifestyle e-commerce company.

Santosh Desai is known not just for his business acumen but for his ability to observe, interpret, and communicate ideas about how people live, think, and consume—making him one of India’s most influential voices in culture and marketing.