The CMO's MO: Kruthi Aramanamada: Global growth demands strategy and market insight

The CMO’s MO (modus operandi) shines the spotlight on some of India’s prominent chief marketing officers as they share their marketing mantra, trends for the future, and what keeps them up at night. In a free-wheeling chat, the who’s who of the country’s leading marketers give a sneak peek into their personalities, plans, and passion-projects for the year ahead.

In this week’s edition of CMO's MO, we chat with Kruthi Aramanamada, general manager-marketing at ideaForge, who has played a key role in fuelling the company’ growth since 2018 by developing its go-to-market strategy, sales funnel optimisation and geographic expansion. With more than 12 years of experience in marketing and technology industries, with key roles in LogiNext and Lookup, she specialises in branding, strategic marketing, product marketing, and customer acquisition.

Read on to explore further:

As ideaForge preps for its global expansion, what are the biggest challenges facing the brand currently?

Our biggest marketing challenge is taking our success from local waters to the global stage. International expansion requires nuanced strategies and a deep understanding of diverse markets. It is not just about replicating what has worked before; it is about adapting our approach to fit different cultural, geopolitical and economic contexts.

Another challenge is effectively communicating our technology’s use cases to a wide range of industries. Each sector has its own unique needs and interests, so finding a unified message that resonates with all can be complex.

Lastly, attracting top talent in the rapidly growing drone industry is another challenge. As the drone sector continues to expand, the demand for experienced professionals often outstrips supply. This shortage makes it increasingly difficult for us to find suitable candidates to hire.

Drone tech is gaining a lot of attention worldwide. What opportunities does this present to ideaForge?

A major opportunity for us is expanding our share in the small drones market. We are actively investing in R&D for tactical and logistics applications.

ideaForge currently holds around 50% share in the market for surveillance and mapping drones. But exploring new use cases with advanced payloads and software can help achieve further growth.

International expansion is another exciting avenue. With increasing global recognition of Indian technology and with markets seeking alternatives to Chinese products, we see several opportunities in the US and other countries where we can showcase our technological edge. Our vertically integrated, autonomous technology sets us apart from competitors who rely on off-the-shelf solutions, allowing us to lead in performance, autonomy, and reliability.

Given the unique sector that ideaForge operates in, where will you invest your marketing budgets this year?  

This year, we are shifting our marketing budget to focus more on paid ads, PR, video production, and AI tools, including generative AI. Our growth so far has been mostly organic, but with the market getting crowded due to new drone regulations and government initiatives, we will focus on impactful content and targeted campaigns. We are not reducing our overall spending; instead, we are ramping up efforts in these areas to stay ahead of the competition.

As a tech-led company, how is your management team embracing generative AI and how is the marketing division leveraging it to improve their efficiency?

We use generative AI extensively across operations. This includes code optimisation, enhancing customer experience, accelerating research, and generating design and content. We encourage our team to dive into these tools and regularly host sessions on the latest AI platforms. In marketing, for instance, AI has been a game-changer.

Our work often involves confidential projects, like creating realistic battle scenes. AI helps us achieve authenticity while keeping customer details secure. We test both, AI-generated and human-created content against data to ensure we are on track. For example, some recent internal data validated that social media AI images are picking up, which was a pleasant surprise.

Our strategy with generative AI is all about democratising creativity. By making advanced tools more accessible, we ensure our outputs are innovative and aligned with our high standards of authenticity and confidentiality.

Which industry topic doesn’t get talked about enough?

The topic of indigenisation deserves more attention within the industry. It is not just about having conversations but also about understanding its nuances, such as how progress is measured and the roles that government and defence sectors play in verifying advancements.

As the sunrise industry, drone manufacturing continues to thrive with emerging use cases and new companies. It is, therefore, vital to enforce strict due diligence. It will help identify genuine and legitimate organisations and also separate viable use cases from the less feasible ones. This distinction is essential for the sector's sustainable growth and integrity.

How is ideaForge ensuring that it is sustainable throughout its organisational structure?

We are committed to sustainability. Our fully electric, battery-operated drones deliver top-notch performance, autonomy, and reliability.

For example, last year, we launched a drone in the US that set a global record with 90 minutes of endurance. Approximately 70% of our components are sourced locally. This shows our support for the Indian supply chain.

Indigenisation is the key part of our strategy and future goals. Our efforts earned us No 5 global ranking in the dual-use category by the ‘Drone Industry Insights’ report, validating our dedication to sustainable practices.

What separates your brand culture from others?

Authenticity is at the core of our brand culture. We never force-fit our brand into irrelevant contexts or promote it. Instead, we let our products speak for themselves. That has led to organic recognition and collaborations.

The notable examples are inclusion of our product in ‘Mismatched Season 2 in the fourth episode’ on Netflix and in the Aamir Khan film ‘3 Idiots’. As the oldest and most trusted drone organisation in the country, we pride ourselves on what we call the 'ideaForge Guarantee'. If we claim a drone has a 60-minute flight time, it will meet or exceed that expectation. We are committed to avoiding over-promising and under-delivering, ensuring our claims are always aligned with reality.

There is a lot of debate about the lack of work-life balance in the startup sector. What needs to change in the industry to help it attract better talent?

Our industry needs to foster a culture of collaboration. As a nascent sector, the success of one player often benefits the entire industry. By working together to develop new use cases and comprehensive solutions, we can build trust with external stakeholders. This trust, in turn, attracts investments and promotes broader adoption, ultimately advancing the industry as a whole.

What is the best piece of professional advice you ever received?

The best professional advice I have ever received is “to do what you love”, a principle that resonates with the Japanese concept of Ikigai.

Additionally, I’m currently focusing on another piece of advice which is to compartmentalise and concentrate on one goal at a time. This approach helps me maintain clarity and efficiency in my work.

What is your working style?

I have an experimental and open-minded approach, and am constantly exploring innovative strategies (such as, data-driven decision making relying on analytics to guide my actions and measure effectiveness). I am also receptive to new ideas like adapting to changes and evolving market conditions.

Tell us one personal thing about yourself that others might not know.

I have ornithophobia—a fear of birds. Although a unique challenge, it has taught me a lot about overcoming personal fears and focusing on what truly matters. It acts as a reminder to me that all of us have our own quirks and that we also possess the strength to face our challenges and grow.

What’s your favourite brand campaign that you participated in or wish you had?

One of my favourite brand campaigns is Ariel's #ShareTheLoad initiative. I’ve always admired the campaign’s powerful message and its potential impact on social change.

Name a brand that you admire for its customer experience.

One Indian brand I admire is The Whole Truth. They took a bold approach with their branding, making it clear what their products aren’t made of, and went head-on against big FMCGs. Their authenticity shines through, and they have built a great product while staying agile and connected to what customers want. I trust their products and use them often.

American Express (AMEX) is another brand I respect, especially for its exceptional customer service. They have integrated technologies like conversational AI to enhance customer interactions. AMEX’s approach to partnering with innovative companies by understanding customer needs further enriches their experience, making it seamless and continually evolving.

Lastly, Nike is another brand I admire for its consistency in branding while staying at the cutting edge of trends. The have managed to innovate without losing sight of their core values, which is impressive.

What keeps you up at night as a CMO?

Ensuring our brand remains consistent and relevant in a constantly changing world keeps me up at night. The dynamic nature of digital channels means that yesterday’s top platform, like Facebook, could shift to Instagram or TikTok today.

Navigating these shifts while maintaining a cohesive brand identity is always a challenge. I am also focused on taking the success we have built in India and replicating it globally, making sure our strategies connect with diverse markets around the world.