TLDR: The ET BrandEquity MarTech+ Summit 2025 highlighted a growing preference for MarTech among marketers, even as AdTech continues to command the majority of marketing budgets. The summit emphasized the critical role of MarTech in driving results, personalization, and retention, with a significant focus on AI’s transformative impact on the marketing technology landscape.
The ET BrandEquity MarTech+ Summit 2025, held on September 4, 2025, at The Leela Ambience in Gurugram, convened industry leaders to discuss the evolving dynamics between marketing technology (MarTech) and advertising technology (AdTech). The overarching theme, ‘Breaking Silos, Accelerating Growth,’ underscored the need for integrated strategies in a rapidly changing digital environment.
While AdTech platforms, particularly giants like Google and Meta, continue to absorb 70-80% of India’s digital ad spend, dominating demand generation, the summit revealed a clear shift in marketers’ sentiment towards MarTech. Experts noted that ‘AdTech eats the budget. MarTech drives the results,’ highlighting MarTech’s crucial role in retention, personalization, and achieving scalable outcomes. This perspective suggests that while AdTech remains vital for awareness, MarTech is becoming the ‘DNA of tomorrow’s winning brands.’
The MarTech ecosystem is experiencing explosive growth, with over 14,000 tools available globally and a 28% year-on-year increase. Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) leveraging MarTech have reported a 30% faster revenue growth compared to their counterparts. A key takeaway from the summit was the importance of ‘local’ MarTech deployment, emphasizing that successful strategies depend on understanding local tech habits and customer preferences rather than simply replicating global solutions.
Artificial intelligence emerged as a central pillar of discussion, with India’s AI-driven MarTech market projected to reach an impressive $6 billion by 2027. The past year alone saw the introduction of over 3,000 AI-native tools, signaling a profound transformation in marketing operations. The summit featured dedicated sessions exploring AI’s impact, including Deepak Bhosale, Associate Vice President – IT, Asian Paints, presenting on ‘Unleashing the Power of Agentic AI – Experience for Martech,’ and Deepak Oram, SVP – Growth Marketing & MarTech, HDFC Bank, discussing ‘The Age of AI: MarTech Becomes Marketing.’ Gautam Rajesh Shelley also delivered a lead talk on ‘Marketing & Engagement in the Age of AI.’
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Panel discussions delved into critical areas such as ‘Martech Centres of Excellence: Designing Human-First Digital Ecosystems for India,’ featuring insights from Ratan Kumar Kesh, Executive Director & COO, Bandhan Bank, and Kanika Garg, COO, Generali Central Insurance. Another significant panel, ‘Orchestrating Personalised Journeys For ‘Always On’ Customers,’ included BFSI industry leaders like Rahul Talwar, CMO & Chief Customer Officer, Max Life Insurance, and Shilpi Kapoor, CMO, Airtel Payments Bank. These discussions collectively emphasized the convergence of MarTech and AdTech, data privacy, compliance, and the strategic use of AI to craft superior customer experiences and drive digital transformation.
