27th April, 2026: Mumbai, India:
On the occasion of the International Market Research Day webinar series, MRSI convened a session titled “Future of Insights & Market Research in an Era of Rapid Transformation.” The panel comprised Oslando D’Souza, Vice President & Head of Insights at Hindustan Unilever Limited; Biju Dominic, Chief Evangelist at Fractal Analytics; Soumya Mohanty, MD & Chief Solutions Officer – Insights Division (South Asia) at Kantar; and Nitesh Priyadarshi, SVP & Chief Strategic Insights & Analytics Officer at Danone. The session was moderated by Chandan Mukherji, Former Global Head of Insights at Nestlé and Former Director & EVP Marketing at Nestlé India. The webinar provided an in-depth exploration of the key forces shaping the future of insights, market research, data, and analytics amid a rapidly evolving landscape.
Nitesh spoke about the growing pressure on organizations to deliver consistent quarter-on-quarter performance, stressing that the insights and analytics community must play a critical role in identifying continuous pockets of growth and enabling competitive advantage. He outlined three key shifts: the increasing demand for performance, the need to balance global scale with local relevance amid strong regional competition, and the importance of delivering both speed and quality simultaneously. He underscored the evolving relationship between AI and human intelligence, noting that while AI can drive faster, unbiased analysis and even influence consumer decisions, human judgment remains central to decision-making. He asserted that insights professionals must move beyond being “research people” and position themselves as growth drivers who actively influence business decisions. He further noted that while AI can process vast data without bias, human expertise remains essential to interpret, contextualize, and act on these insights effectively.
Nitesh also commented that real market growth is increasingly being driven by smaller, local players who are deeply connected to consumer needs, challenging global brands to stay relevant. He advocated for organizations to break free from internal biases and limitations to unlock innovation and meaningful differentiation. He emphasized the importance of mindset and cultural change, where professionals must accept AI-driven insights, develop strong storytelling abilities, and enhance influencing skills to drive action within organizations. He added that having a “seat at the table” depends on the ability to speak the language of business; linking insights directly to topline and bottom-line impact. Ultimately, he concluded that the future of insights lies in combining AI-driven intelligence with human influence to drive meaningful business outcomes.
Biju reflected on how advancements in brain science and data are fundamentally reshaping the understanding of consumer behaviour. He pointed out that while the human brain has immense processing capacity, only a very small fraction operates at a conscious level, meaning the majority of decisions occur subconsciously. He also highlighted the shrinking attention span in the digital era, noting that while television once held attention for several minutes, smartphone interactions now last only a few seconds, with most decisions happening almost instantly; making traditional long-form advertising increasingly ineffective. He explained that while the explosion of data has enabled organizations to understand what consumers are doing, it still falls short of explaining why they behave in certain ways. Through real-world examples, he illustrated that deeper human insights often emerge from asking the right questions and understanding unconscious behaviour; something that cannot be derived from data alone.
He also stressed that human intuition and curiosity remain critical, as AI is effective at providing answers but not necessarily at framing the most relevant or provocative questions needed to uncover deeper insights. He further examined the evolving landscape of human-to-human, human-to-machine, and machine-to-machine (agent-to-agent) interactions, noting that AI will increasingly influence decisions and behaviours. However, he remarked that humans and machines are judged differently; humans by intent and machines by outcomes; introducing new behavioural biases.
He concluded by stating that as AI systems become more human-like in their functioning, the insights and market research industry must adapt to understand new triggers, persuasion techniques, and decision-making frameworks in this evolving ecosystem.
Soumya addressed the structural shifts impacting the insights and market research ecosystem, particularly highlighting the “financialization of marketing,” where the increasing pressure to deliver quarter-on-quarter performance is driven by accountability to the stock market. She noted that this has led to a shift in the role of insights; from discovery and exploration toward validation, certainty, and defending decisions; reducing the appetite for probabilistic thinking. She clarified that while the industry is often perceived as “broken,” she does not subscribe to that view. Instead, she argued that the ecosystem is evolving, and what needs to be challenged is the over-reliance on behavioural data alone to predict future outcomes. She emphasized the continued importance of understanding context, trade-offs, and competitive dynamics beyond what dashboards and readily available data can provide.
Soumya also discussed the transformative impact of AI, stating that it will significantly reduce friction, automate repetitive tasks, and enhance speed and efficiency. In the near term, she acknowledged that this transition may be challenging; especially for junior professionals; as AI takes over many entry-level responsibilities. However, he indicated that over the next few years, the value of insights professionals will shift toward judgment, interpretation, framing, and challenging assumptions. Looking ahead, she expressed optimism that the role of insights will evolve to focus more on probabilities, scenarios, and strategic foresight.
Oslando observed the rapid pace of change in the industry, noting that while there is a tendency to feel overwhelmed, professionals often underestimate their own ability to adapt and continue driving growth. He remarked that advancements such as AI-powered tools may seem threatening; particularly as they begin to replicate tasks traditionally handled by junior researchers; but also present an opportunity to elevate impact through deeper insights and faster decision-making. He emphasized that while machines can process and analyse data efficiently, the role of humans remains critical in interpreting insights, applying judgment, and uncovering meaningful opportunities for growth. He noted that although data today provides a sense of certainty, true value lies in human-led interpretation and contextual understanding.
Drawing on the idea that tools will evolve while principles remain constant, he asserted that qualities such as curiosity, empathy, cultural understanding, and intuition will continue to define effective research. He acknowledged that while methodologies and tools must evolve, the fundamentals of good research remain timeless. Looking ahead, Oslando outlined a future where human and AI collaboration becomes the norm, with teams comprising both human professionals and AI agents. He added that researchers will increasingly focus on managing systems, identifying patterns, and refining outputs.
He further highlighted the growing importance of human judgment in interpreting irrational behaviour and cultural nuance, positioning insights professionals as translators of complexity and contradiction. He concluded by identifying key risks; failing to adopt new technologies or becoming overwhelmed by them; and stated that the future lies in humans who know when to trust technology and when to challenge it.