As we begin the New Year, we spoke to industry leaders to reflect on the shifts that shaped 2025 and the forces expected to define 2026. For Rajesh Jain, Founder, Netcore Cloud, AI has moved from experimentation to everyday execution across marketing and media.
In 2025, the advertising and marketing ecosystem saw AI transition from novelty to necessity. Brands deployed AI for performance optimisation, content velocity, customer analytics, predictive insights and media planning at scale. Generative AI became embedded in workflows, while automation and personalisation moved closer to real-time, setting the stage for a more outcome-driven, AI-native marketing era.
That shift laid the foundation for a more decisive transformation ahead.
Looking forward, Rajesh Jain believes 2026 is when AI stops supporting marketers—and starts running the engine. “2026 is when Agentic Marketing becomes operational for CMOs. AI stops assisting teams and starts executing—planning, orchestrating, and optimising toward clear business goals. Execution becomes cheap; outcomes become scarce. Software becomes a workforce, not a tool. As AI agents mediate discovery and decisions, retention—not acquisition—emerges as the primary growth lever. In a world of infinite production, human attention becomes the scarcest and most valuable asset.”
(As told to Pritha Pahari)
