'Aspiration is increasingly being defined by experiences rather than ownership in India'
Visa's Gaurav Ramdev discusses the brand's recent collaboration with SRK, and how Indian consumer is moving beyond possessions.
Visa India has recently onboarded Shah Rukh Khan as its brand ambassador. As a part of the partnership, the brand also rolled out a campaign, 'Infinitely More', that was conceptualised by Leo.
We caught up with Gaurav Ramdev, head - marketing, India and South Asia, Visa, to talk about the recent campaign, the collaboration with Khan, and more...
Edited excerpts:
What was the insight behind the campaign? What was the brief given to the agency?
At the heart of this campaign is the core insight that aspiration is evolving in India - shifting from ownership to experience-led, bespoke living. This is also highlighted in our Visa VCA Whitepaper, ‘India’s Affluent Economy 2025–2026’. And Visa sits right at the cusp of this shift - between commerce, culture and experience. Because aspiration today is increasingly shaped by how people choose to live, the experiences they seek, and the ease with which they navigate everyday moments. That’s why our Visa campaign with Shah Rukh Khan – Infinitely More with Visa Power – is a reflection of this progressive mindset.
The campaign reinforces Visa as an enabler of this bespoke lifestyle, powering seamless, secure and effortless access to experiences. The brief was rooted in this insight and so is the alliance between Visa and Khan, which we see as a natural fit between two iconic and globally influential brands. Khan personifies what Visa stands for - trust, access, exclusivity and global resonance. He adds the cultural relevance and emotional depth to a promise that Visa has always stood for - empowering consumers to experience a life that’s seamless and secure, and ‘Infinitely more with Visa Power.’
With this campaign, the brand is moving into the territory of experience and lifestyle. What specific consumer behaviour or data points convinced this pivot?
More than a pivot, this is a natural evolution of where both India and its consumers are headed. At a macro level, India today is demonstrating strong momentum with consistent GDP growth, rising disposable incomes, and a population that is increasingly digitally connected, savvy and aware - leading to creation of an aspirational India - globally influenced and progressive in how they choose to live their lives.
Against this backdrop, our insights have consistently pointed to a deeper behavioural shift. Visa VCA Whitepaper, ‘Bridging the Gap: Payments in India Beyond Metros’, launched in early 2025, highlighted how affluence in India is becoming more democratised - extending beyond metros into Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, driven by increased digital adoption, access to credit, and rising incomes.
Building on this, our latest Visa VCA Whitepaper release in May 2026, ‘India’s Affluent Economy 2025–2026’, goes a step further to decode how this cohort is evolving – attitudinally and behaviourally. It highlights that consumers today are spending more deliberately, on discretionary categories where they prefer personalised, bespoke experiences over possessions across travel, dining, music, sports, wellness, etc., accounting for a higher share of card spends, especially as they move up the affluence ladder. More importantly, they are increasingly choosing experiences that feel personal, purposeful and aligned with how they want to live. This is the key insight driving the campaign. Status is no longer defined purely by ownership or visible consumption, it is being redefined by access, curation and meaningful experiences across everyday moments. Reinforcing Visa’s role as an enabler of this experience-led lifestyle - powering seamless, secure and effortless access to the moments that matter most.
Does the campaign primarily target existing premium cardholders or is it also aimed at younger aspirational consumers who may be entering the affluent segment?
This campaign is built around the mindset of the modern Indian. It reflects a broader shift we’re seeing across consumer groups where aspiration is increasingly defined by experiences rather than ownership. So, while it resonates with existing premium cardholders, it is equally relevant for the next wave of consumers entering affluence – the young millennials and Gen Z cohort that is digitally native, experience-seeking and globally influenced. From a Visa lens, it’s about connecting across segments by aligning to a shared mindset centred on experiences, intent, and evolving expectations.
What KPIs will you track to define the success of the campaign?
Success for us goes beyond just visibility. While we are tracking core campaign metrics -reach, engagement and overall impact, what matters more is how effectively the campaign reinforces what Visa has always stood for - enabling an experience-led lifestyle aligned to evolving consumer aspirations. This is designed as a full-funnel effort, where awareness translates into deeper engagement and ultimately tangible actions across our platforms, whether it’s exploring, unlocking or experiencing benefits.
Ultimately, this is a long-term brand play, and we will measure success through sustained progression in brand metrics such as equity, trust, recall and preference over time alongside increased usage of Visa across experience-led categories like travel, dining and lifestyle spends.
The film contains references to Visa’s iconic global advertising heritage, including the orangutan and tuk-tuk driver. Was the objective nostalgia, brand distinctiveness, or a way of linking Visa’s global heritage with contemporary India?
The intention was to celebrate Visa’s iconic legacy in a way that feels relevant today. The references you see, like the orangutan or the tuk-tuk driver, are what we think of as subtle 'easter eggs' from Visa’s rich body of work. They borrow from the brand’s longstanding equity - trust, familiarity and cultural memorability while reinforcing what makes Visa distinctive over time.
At the same time, this campaign is very consciously crafted for a contemporary context. The storytelling reflects a modern, globally connected and increasingly experience-led India, where aspirations are shaped as much by culture and access as they are by transactions. So, while the cues connect to our rich legacy, the expression is firmly rooted in today. It’s about carrying that legacy forward, reinterpreting iconic brand moments through a modern lens that feels relatable and culturally relevant.
Tell us about the Visa.co.in platform...
Visa.co.in and Visapowertravel.com are two key platforms bringing alive this campaign beyond the film. While the film sets the aspiration, these platforms enable action - where consumers can discover and unlock experiences for themselves. The platforms help Visa cardholders to explore curated offerings across travel, dining, entertainment and everyday moments. It brings together a broad ecosystem of privileges in one place, with experiences that are tailored, relevant and easy to access.
Are experiences becoming the new currency for building brand preference?
There is a clear shift in consumer behaviour - people are prioritising experiences and making more intentional choices around how they spend and live their lives. In that context, brand preference about how well a brand aligns and powers what consumers value today – credibility, exclusivity, seamlessness, trust, relevance and the ability to enable meaningful moments.