The Innovator 25:

Aman Gupta

Managing Partner

SPAG
New Delhi

“Look beyond the obvious and don't be afraid of taking risks”

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Since launching SPAG, Aman Gupta has led the development of one Asia’s first specialist healthcare PR consultancies, building on his experience of communications and advocacy and its role in healthcare, pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors. Gupta’s work also encompasses considerable NGO activities, for such bodies as the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease in India, while he also developed and implemented a continent-wide media programme for the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, aimed at educating key policy makers, media, civil leaders and communities on issues related to clinical testing and distribution of the vaccine to prevent HIV/AIDS. Gupta was one of the first Asians to receive the TED fellowship (in 2003), and his entrepreneurial focus also includes such ventures as Eye-Q (India’s leading chain of eye hospitals), Satvacart (e-grocery store), and YogaTrail (marketplace for yoga).

How do you define innovation?
Identifying a need and developing product/service around it before it is recognized as need.

Most innovative PR/comms campaign you’ve seen in the last 12 months?
Since Ice Bucket Challenge, I have not seen another campaign that has been able to generate the kind of engagement, call for action and influencer involvement.

What brands and/or agencies are most innovative when it comes to marketing/PR?
Apple.

Describe a moment in your career that you would consider ‘innovative.’
Start of journey with envisioning of global integrated group focussed on life sciences, medical technology.

In what area of marketing/PR do you see the most innovation?
Influencer relations.

How would you describe the communications/PR industry’s level of innovation?
Lagging other marketing disciplines.

Where do you see the greatest opportunity for marketing & PR to become more innovative?
Influencer relations.

Who most influences how innovative a brand’s marketing/PR is?
CMO

Who is your mentor and why?
Everyone who has been part of my life has mentored me towards having a dream and then pursuing it relentlessly. Whether it is Mark Chataway, who first guided me on healthcare communications or Rajat Goel with whom I started my entrepreneurship journey at Eye-Q. 

How do you find inspiration?
Reading and conversations: Try to read from multiple genres and meet people from multiple backgrounds. Each of them have ability to inspire through learnings and work they do. 

What is your advice for people seeking to bring new ideas, ways of doing things to their organizations?
Look beyond the obvious and don't be afraid of taking risks.

In your opinion, what’s the most innovative place in the world?
Silicon Valley, Bengaluru.

What’s your favorite time of day and why?
Flight time: It gives me space to think about the question 'what next?'