MAM
Narayan Devanathan is Dentsu Marcom national planning head
MUMBAI: Dentsu India Group has appointed Narayan Devanathan as national planning head, Dentsu Marcom.
Based out of the Group‘s India headquarters in Gurgaon, Devanathan will be a key member of the new leadership team at Dentsu India Group.
His primary responsibilities will involve leading strategic planning for current and prospective clients across Dentsu Marcom offices in India.
Devanathan joins from Euro RSCG where he was chief strategy officer. Over his 19 years in the business, he has worked across capacities in planning and copy with leading advertising agencies in India and the United States.
Prior to Euro, Devanathan was senior planning director at Ogilvy & Mather India. He has also worked with US based Cramer-Krasselt and Admerasia, New York.
Devanathan‘s diverse category experience includes FMCG, automobiles, banking and financial services, beverages, fast food retail, technology, healthcare, real estate, personal care, pharmaceuticals, crafts and apparel.
Dentsu India Group executive chairman Rohit Ohri said, “It‘s an exciting time for us at Dentsu India Group. We‘ve triggered a transformation, a new beginning and a reinvigoration of our India presence. Narayan will partner Titus Upputuru and Hiroshi Omata to lead Dentsu Marcom to its next phase of growth. The width of Narayan‘s experience and passion for the creative work will be invaluable for Dentsu India.”
On joining Dentsu Marcom, Devanathan said, “Over the years, I‘ve figured the 3 principles that I work best by are honesty, simplicity and collaboration. In the new scheme of things at Dentsu India, that‘s what I‘m looking to harness as the head of strategic planning – to help create a fantastic future for brands, together with my agency, Dentsu Marcom and client partners. After some terrific stints at American and Indian agencies, I guess I‘m hoping to find love in Tokyo too.”
Devanathan has worked on brands such as Reckitt Benckiser portfolio (Dettol, Strepsils, Lysol, Mortein, Airwick, Harpic, Easy Off Bang, Veet, Vanish, among others), Fair & Lovely (digital for Unilever), Sprite, KFC, American Express, GE Healthcare, Mitsubishi Motors, Baskin Robbins, IBM, Motorola, Cisco and Teacher‘s .
If you are actively investing to grow your money month after month, you already understand the value of planning ahead. SIPs, long-term portfolios, retirement planning and goal-based investing all point to one thing. You are building a future with intent.
What often gets missed in this process is one foundational question. How well is the income that funds all these plans protected?
Term life insurance fits naturally into this stage of financial planning. It does not compete with investments. It supports them by protecting the income that makes long-term growth possible.
Why Income Protection Is a Core Part of Financial Planning
Every financial plan begins with income. Before money is invested or saved, it is earned.
Over time, this income is allocated across multiple needs:
● monthly household expenses
● EMIs and long-term loans
● savings and emergency funds
● investments aimed at future goals
As responsibilities increase, financial planning becomes layered. Each layer assumes income continuity. Term life insurance exists to ensure that this structure does not become fragile due to overdependence on a single income source.
It adds stability to plans already in motion rather than introducing a new objective.
What does term life insurance do?
Term life insurance provides a fixed payout to your nominee if you pass away during the policy term. The purpose of this payout is practical and clearly defined.
It is intended to:
● replace lost income for a defined period
● help manage outstanding liabilities
● support ongoing household and goal-based expenses
There is no investment or savings component. This keeps the product focused and cost-efficient, allowing individuals to opt for meaningful coverage without diverting funds meant for growth-oriented investments.
Why Term Life Insurance Complements Investing?
Investments and insurance play different roles in a financial plan.
Investments are designed to:
● grow wealth over time
● compound with consistency
● be adjusted as goals and risk appetite change
Term life insurance is designed to:
● provide financial continuity
● protect existing plans from disruption
● remain stable once put in place
Keeping these roles separate improves clarity. Investments are allowed to perform without being forced to double up as protection, while insurance quietly supports the overall structure.
Who Should Consider Term Life Insurance?
Term life insurance becomes relevant when financial planning extends beyond individual needs. This typically includes:
a) Working professionals
When income supports shared expenses or long-term plans, protection becomes essential.
b) Individuals with long-term liabilities
Home loans, education loans and other EMIs often extend over decades. Term insurance ensures these obligations remain manageable.
c) Parents planning future milestones
Education, healthcare and lifestyle goals require continuity over many years.
d) Early planners with rising incomes
Starting earlier allows coverage to align smoothly with career progression and evolving responsibilities.
How Much Coverage Should Be Considered?
Coverage should be guided by financial reality rather than affordability alone.
A well-rounded evaluation typically considers:
● number of years income needs to be replaced
● existing and future liabilities
● long-term goals already planned
● inflation and rising living costs
Many insurance companies offer options starting from 50 lakhs, 1 crore term insurance and higher. It allows individuals to choose coverage based on their income, liabilities and future plans.
How Term Life Insurance Fits Into a Long-Term Plan
Once set up, term life insurance does not demand frequent attention.
It does not require active monitoring, market tracking or performance reviews. Its role is structural rather than dynamic.
By ensuring financial continuity, it allows families to:
● stay aligned with long-term plans
● avoid rushed financial decisions
● focus on execution rather than damage control
When aligned correctly, term insurance strengthens the foundation on which investments, savings and retirement plans are built.
Choose the Right Insurance Partner
Once the need, coverage amount and role of term life insurance are clear, the final and most important step is choosing the right partner.
This decision should be based on:
● clarity and transparency in policy terms
● a strong claim settlement track record
● consistency in servicing and communication
● the ability to support long-term financial planning rather than just selling a product
Term life insurance is a long-term commitment. The partner you choose today will be the one your family relies on years down the line.
When protection is aligned with purpose and backed by a dependable insurer, term life insurance becomes a quiet but powerful part of a well-built financial plan.
