What Language Should Brands Speak In India?

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A startup puts ‘Hinglish’ copy on Bangalore autos.

A skincare brand runs an English-led campaign in Rajasthan.

Two completely different campaigns.
Same debate: What language should brands speak in India?

And increasingly, there seems to be no easy answer.

Voice AI startup Wispr Flow recently rolled out an outdoor campaign on Bangalore autos using Hinglish copy. The campaign definitely grabbed attention. Some people even appreciated how the brand tried to turn Bangalore’s infamous traffic into an attention hook.

But very quickly, the conversation shifted away from creativity and towards language.

A section of the internet questioned why a campaign in Bangalore wasn’t using Kannada more prominently, especially in a city where language is deeply tied to cultural identity. Soon after, the company adapted parts of the campaign into Kannada and publicly acknowledged the feedback.

And honestly, that response became almost as important as the campaign itself.

This conversation keeps resurfacing in Indian advertising.

Recently, Pond's ‘Sun Portraits’ campaign in Rajasthan also sparked discussions online. This time, the debate wasn’t about Hindi vs Kannada - but whether English-heavy storytelling creates a disconnect in culturally rooted campaigns.

Different category.
Different audience.
Different intent.

But the same underlying question: Who exactly is the brand speaking to?

Because language in India is never just communication.

It’s: identity, aspiration, belonging, politics and pride. 

Which means consumers increasingly read language choices as signals. Hindi or regional languages can feel inclusive to one audience and alienating to another. English can feel aspirational to some and disconnected to others.

And that’s what makes India such a complicated market to build for.

That’s the reality brands are now confronting.

Use Hindi → risk being accused of imposition.
Use English → risk feeling culturally distant.
Over-localise → risk sounding performative.

There’s no single language strategy that works across India anymore. What only matters is context,  awareness and how quickly brands respond when audiences react.

India may be one country on paper. But from a branding perspective, it behaves like many emotional markets stitched together.

And language is often the fastest trigger of that emotion.

Which is why localisation today is no longer just a marketing tactic. It’s increasingly becoming a signal of awareness, sensitivity, and intent. Because maybe the real question isn’t:

“Should brands advertise in Hindi, English, or regional languages?”

It’s:

“Do brands truly understand who they’re speaking to in the first place?”

By Sakshi Sharma

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