Brand Wizards Mumbai to decode how brands can build Gen Z communities that last

MUMBAI: The battle for Gen Z attention is moving beyond campaigns. Brands are now fighting for something far more valuable: communities.

Indiantelevision.com’s Brand Wizards roundtable, themed ‘Building Communities: Best Practices for GenZ Marketers’ scheduled for August 7, will bring together some of the India’s leading marketing minds to discuss how brands can move from simply reaching consumers to building meaningful communities around them.

Moderated by Anil Wanvari, founder and editor-in-chief of Indiantelevision.com, the roundtable will examine how marketers are navigating a world where audiences no longer want to be passive receivers of brand messages. They want conversations, connections and a sense of belonging.

For decades, Indian marketing was driven by reach, impressions and one-way communication. But Gen Z, raised on group chats, fandoms, creator platforms and online communities, has changed the equation. This generation does not just follow brands. It interacts with them, challenges them and expects them to participate in culture.

A follower is a metric. A community is a relationship.

The challenge, however, is far more complex in India. There is no single Gen Z audience. Brands are engaging with multiple communities shaped by language, region, city tiers, interests and platforms. What works for a creator community in Bengaluru may not translate to a regional-language community in a tier-2 town.

The roundtable will explore the growing importance of community-led marketing, how brands are creating these ecosystems, and the roadblocks marketers face, from maintaining authenticity and managing backlash to demonstrating the impact of community investments internally.

The discussion will feature leaders from across fitness, fintech, hospitality, food, retail and lifestyle sectors, including Ajay Singh, business head, HRX; Ayush Kumar, VP marketing, Appreciate; CJ Mathews, VP marketing and PR, Ashar Group; Kapil Bhatia, founder and CEO, UNIREC; Kulbhushan Atkar, chief revenue officer, Pepperfry; Muralikrishnan L, co-founder and CMO, Wow! Momo Foods; Parth Parmar, founder, PARÉ Innovations; Namita Mitla, head of marketing, Hunger Inc Hospitality; and Shwetha Iyer, SVP and head of marketing, Kissht.

Ajay Singh’s experience in expanding HRX by Hrithik Roshan from an activewear brand into a broader fitness and lifestyle ecosystem will offer insights into building communities around shared goals and everyday habits.

Muralikrishnan L’s journey of scaling Wow! Momo Foods from a single kiosk in Kolkata into a chain with more than 850 outlets across 90-plus cities highlights the power of cultural relevance and consumer connection in brand building.

Namita Mitla’s work across Hunger Inc Hospitality brands including Bombay Sweet Shop, The Bombay Canteen, O Pedro, Veronica’s and Papa’s reflects how brands can blend tradition, innovation and digital storytelling to connect with younger audiences.

Shwetha Iyer brings two decades of experience across advertising, brand building, digital marketing and growth strategy, with a track record of shaping communication strategies for brands including Kissht, Webchutney, IBM, Vodafone and ZEE5.

The key question the roundtable will address is simple: in an age where every brand is competing for attention, how do marketers create communities that people genuinely want to be part of?

Because Gen Z does not just buy into brands. It buys into belonging.