AI in Indian advertising isn’t hypothetical anymore. It’s here. You’ll find it in decks, meetings, brainstorms, and yes, even in WhatsApp groups. According to Adobe’s recent study, 82% of Indian brand leaders already see value in AI-generated content. 73% are putting guidelines in place. And nearly half are actively using generative tools in live campaigns.

It’s not just the digital-first startups either. Even the old-school giants are dipping in. From multilingual content and personalised videos to voice adaptation and creative testing, AI is already changing how Indian marketing works. You can spot its influence in work from Cadbury, Tata and a host of newer names.

But there’s still some hesitation. On ethics and ownership. As Bimal Tarafdar, CMO of a multi-sector group, put it: “We’re curious, but our questions are still exploratory. We’re not yet writing briefs where AI is the central idea.”

That makes sense. Because in a country like India, with its many layers, languages and ways of life, working with AI isn’t just about saving time. It’s about doing justice to the story. So we gave ourselves a test. Could we use AI to tell a hyper-local story that felt rooted, real, and emotionally alive? A luvvu story, as we say in Bangalore.