MAM
The number of voice commerce shoppers in India poised to grow at a rate of 103%: WATInsights report
MUMBAI: Voice Commerce is making its way into the Indian customers’ shopping habits faster than ever. The number of voice shoppers in India is poised to grow at an impressive rate of 103 per cent by the end of 2022 to reach 168 million voice shoppers, according to the latest report of WATInsights – Digital commerce series. For the record, there are 83 million voice shoppers in India presently, suggesting that it has already seen an uptick.
WATConsult, an Isobar Company & hybrid digital agency from dentsu India, has released its fourth report on the digital commerce series, titled ‘Digital Commerce in India – Voice Commerce’. The report by the agency’s research division, Recogn, shares insights on the ever-increasing adoption of Voice Commerce, the evolution of conversational AI solutions, challenges associated with voice-activated assistants and sentiments of consumers towards using this emerging branch of digital marketing.
There is a paradigm shift in the way searches are performed as users turn to voice for searching and shopping for products online. As per the report, 42 per cent of the females have used voice assistants for online shopping, while most youngsters belonging to the age group of 18-24 years have frequently used the assistant enabled devices to shop online. Additionally, the majority of the working professionals residing in the top four metros and next five metros have also used voice assistants for online shopping.
It is pertinent to note here that, in India, the use of voice technology for shopping is at a nascent stage and only one-third of the users have used voice assistants to purchase products online, as per the report.
The report stated that most female voice commerce shoppers are concerned about the privacy and security of the financial data while shopping online using voice, withstanding the benefits of the platform. However, the challenge for older customers belonging to the age group of 65 years and above is the inability to break through the habit of typing and searching for products online.
Commenting on the latest issue of WATInsights, Isobar India group CEO Heeru Dingra said, “Voice integrated with online commerce is transforming the future of digital commerce and revolutionising the B2B and B2C e-commerce in India. With artificial intelligence and native language processing undergoing a massive transformation, voice commerce will help a great deal in increasing consumer confidence and improve conversion prospects for brands and businesses.”
Voice simplifies the online shopping experience, enabling voice-enabled searches to be immensely popular and widely adopted. Voice commerce offers a natural user interface and experience, thus, making it appear as a game-changer for retail and e-commerce brands. To offer a personalised digital shopping experience, retailers are optimising their stores for voice commerce by further investing in upgrading their e-commerce capabilities, technology & platforms. Over time, voice shopping has influenced the way customers purchase online. It has also affected their shopping behaviour, making it even more crucial for businesses to include a voice in their marketing strategies.
WATConsult managing partner Sahil Shah added, “I vividly remember ordering from Amazon Alexa device for the very first time. It was an extremely smooth and native experience, compared to what I had thought it would be. With the ecosystem developing at breakneck speed, including both hardware and software, voice commerce is here to stay and scale-up for sure. What is exciting to see is who wins the race and commands a significant pie of the voice commerce market; also, how brands scale up their voice-led experiences in a digital-first world? And no, it is not just the basic things one can order, it is everything from paying bills to buying groceries to booking a movie ticket to ordering for a hyperlocal delivery; all with the power of your voice.”
WATInsights are periodically published reports based on primary research conducted by Recogn, the agency’s research division that provides consumer and business insights to its audience. WATInsights delve into the different aspects of the digital industry, consumer behaviour, and more. Additionally, the research also covers topics like Instagram in India – users’ perspective, voice technology in India, and the usage of the internet in the local language.
Brands
Abhinav Rastogi named global marketing director for YouTube Shopping
Google veteran to scale creator commerce and expand shopping across global markets
SINGAPORE: Abhinav Rastogi has stepped into a new role as global marketing director for YouTube Shopping, marking the latest chapter in a more than decade-long career at Google.
Rastogi, who took on the position in February and is based in Singapore, will lead global marketing for YouTube Shopping, a platform designed to connect creators, viewers and merchants in a single ecosystem. His remit includes expanding the service into new markets and strengthening its positioning as a growth channel for both creators and brands.
In a reflective note on the transition, Rastogi pointed to a simple but powerful idea driving the role. For years, creators have quietly built trust with audiences through consistent and authentic content, and that trust often shapes purchasing decisions. What is changing now, he said, is the infrastructure around that behaviour. YouTube Shopping aims to make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products recommended by creators they already follow.
The scale is already significant. More than half a million creators have joined the programme, with recent expansion into Japan through a partnership with Rakuten signalling further global ambitions.
Rastogi believes the future of shopping on YouTube will be driven by a blend of creators, content and communities. In his view, it is the human voice behind the screen, not just the product, that ultimately builds trust and drives discovery.
Prior to this role, he served as director of marketing, YouTube Asia Pacific, where he led regional marketing across creator engagement, brand building and reputation. During that time, he played a key role in launching and scaling YouTube Shopping across eight markets in the region.
Earlier stints at Google include group product marketing manager, consumer apps, overseeing growth for products such as Search, Maps and Assistant across India and Southeast Asia, and product marketing manager roles spanning consumer apps and YouTube, where he contributed to launches including YouTube Music, YouTube Originals and YouTube Shorts.
Rastogi began his career in consulting with Boston Consulting Group and A.T. Kearney, before moving into the technology sector. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Alongside his corporate role, he is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups in consumer technology and electric mobility across India and Southeast Asia.
As he settles into the new role, Rastogi is betting on a future where every video can double up as a storefront, and where commerce feels less like a transaction and more like a recommendation from a trusted voice.
