In a digital world increasingly governed by speed, signal, and shelf space, a quiet revolution is underway. Retail platforms, once transactional marketplaces, are being reborn as full-fledged media ecosystems. At Martech Summit 2025 in Delhi, the spotlight was on this transformation during a thought-provoking fireside chat featuring our very own Aditya Aima, Managing Director Growth Markets and Co-MD, India & MENA. In a room brimming with marketers, technologists, and brand leaders, Aima posed a provocation that lingered long after the applause:
“What’s driving ad dollars to shift from platforms like Amazon to players such as Blinkit or Zepto? And more interestingly, what’s stopping Amazon from launching its own Quick Commerce model in India?”
It wasn’t just a rhetorical flourish. As Aima revealed, conversations with Amazon teams across Delhi, Japan, Singapore, and the Middle East point to one thing: retail media is no longer a niche. It’s a battleground.
From Storefronts to Signal-Rich Ecosystems
Hosted under the session titled “Retail Media Networks – How India’s E-commerce Giants Could Become the Next Adtech Behemoths”, the conversation delved into how retail platforms are now capable of delivering more than just products, they deliver measurable brand performance, driven by first-party data and moment-specific engagement.
As someone deeply entrenched in Asia’s digital transformation, Aima offered a macro lens on the behavioral shift this signals, not just for media buyers but for marketers recalibrating their full-funnel strategies.
“Big brands aren’t just acquiring startups for products—they’re shortcutting their way to consumer understanding.”
In today’s hyper-competitive D2C landscape, brands are under immense pressure to move fast, but speed cannot replace insight. Startups, with their direct feedback loops and agile experimentation, often possess a closer read on evolving consumer intent. For legacy brands, acquiring them isn’t just about product, it’s about fast-tracking intimacy.
Still, the path for newer entrants isn’t straightforward.
“D2C is an art built over time. Small brands must invest heavily in performance, but skipping upper-funnel spend is risky.”
It’s a cautionary reminder in an era obsessed with short-term metrics. Performance without presence is a leaky funnel. And brand-building, while intangible in the short term, often defines longevity.
“The next breakout brand could launch tomorrow anytime, totally made from AI.”
This was perhaps the most prescient remark of the day. In a landscape increasingly shaped by generative AI, creators, and no-code commerce, the barriers to entry have collapsed. A product born in a prompt today could dominate a category tomorrow. But whether it endures still depends on timeless fundamentals: trust, storytelling, and value.
Where AnyMind Fits In
At AnyMind, we see these shifts not as disruptions but as catalysts for innovation. Our suite of products, from AnyTag for influencer-led campaigns and AnyX’s e-commerce capabilities, to enabling enterprises to maximize the potential of e-commerce, is built for a world where media, commerce, and community converge.
Whether it’s helping brands navigate the nuances of retail media ROI, enabling data-led creator collaborations, or accelerating D2C storefronts across Asia, our mission is simple: to make every brand future-ready in a world moving faster than ever before.
Final Thought
Retail media is no longer just a channel. It’s a mindset. And as the Martech Summit 2025 made clear, India’s e-commerce giants aren’t just gatekeepers, they’re fast becoming the architects of digital attention.
With leaders like Aditya Aima spotlighting these emerging dynamics, and platforms like AnyMind powering the shift behind the scenes, the question isn’t whether retail media will take center stage, but how soon.
