Salesforce Hosts First Great India Sales & Marketing Summit

Salesforce India held the first edition of the Great India Sales & Marketing Summit on May 24, 2024. This virtual event provided insights into technologies like AI and their impact on sales and marketing functions. Over 10,000 participants attended the summit.

The event focused on digital transformation and the role of AI in achieving organizational success and customer-centricity. Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairperson and CEO of Salesforce India, opened the session by acknowledging the contributions of sales and marketing professionals.

She emphasized that these functions are crucial for organizational growth through meaningful customer engagement. Bhattacharya highlighted the importance of vibrant sales and marketing teams in fostering innovation and stated that digital transformation is essential for India's economic growth. She also discussed how technology and AI enable sales and marketing teams to achieve their goals.

At the Summit, several sessions explored the power of AI in Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service. Salesforce experts showcased how Salesforce uses its own AI products to achieve success.

Kapil Dev: Setting Goals and Achieving Them Together. Kapil Dev, former cricketer and captain of the World Cup-winning Indian team, shared leadership insights.

• He emphasized the importance of leading from the front, focusing on the process of winning, and recognizing the unique roles of each team member.
• He discussed how business leaders can apply these principles to align their teams with business goals.

Ankur Warikoo: Marketing on a Mission: Maximize Your Impact, Minimize Your Spend. Ankur Warikoo, a teacher, content creator, and author, shared his expertise on cost-effective marketing strategies.

• He offered practical tips for frugal marketing, drawing parallels from successful brands and presenting a five-step approach.
• Warikoo highlighted the importance of maximizing impact while minimizing marketing expenditure.

Srikanth Bolla: From Hurdles to High Performance: Scaling Your Business with a Winning Mindset. Srikanth Bolla, CEO of Bollant Industries, shared his journey from being a differently-abled student in a remote village to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

• He discussed how staying focused and true to his roots contributed to his professional achievements.
• Srikanth emphasized the importance of perseverance and self-determination in overcoming obstacles and achieving success.

Some of the Key Session Highlights - 

• Salesforce organized a series of sessions highlighting the use of AI and data tools in business operations. 

• Nipun Sharma, Senior Director and Head of Marketing at Salesforce India explained how Salesforce uses AI tools like Data Cloud and Einstein 1 to drive growth and align sales and marketing.

• Romil Agarwal, Country Head and Regional VP at Tableau India discussed data-backed decision-making and the potential of generative AI with Tableau.
• Nehal Mehta, Head of Sales at Mulesoft India, described how Mulesoft integrates data, systems, and AI models for seamless automation.

• Dr. Dakshinamurthy V Kolluru led an AI Masterclass, offering insights into AI implementation, showcasing use cases, and providing an upGrad certification in AI.

• Alyce Erikson, Group Head of B2B Product Marketing at LinkedIn, and Ajay Datta, Senior Director of Product Management at LinkedIn, demonstrated how Salesforce integrates with LinkedIn’s B2B solutions to engage audiences and generate leads.