Alumni Ventures: Umanshi Marketing – Tamanna Gupta, EPGP 2014
Tamanna Gupta, a dynamic marketing leader and an IIM Bangalore EPGP 2014 alumna, has carved a remarkable journey in the world of branding and marketing. Starting her career as a determined class 12 student in Mumbai, Tamanna’s early experiences in market research sparked a passion that would define her future. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked with more than 200 brands across 60 industries, including giants like HSBC, Citi, Bridgestone, and Qatar Airways. Her career trajectory took her from agency roles at Times of India and Percept Sports & Entertainment to leading marketing efforts for a billion-dollar global firm, AllCargo Logistics.
In 2019, Tamanna founded Umanshi Marketing, a full-stack marketing and branding agency focused on empowering startups and SMEs. Her vision was to democratize marketing, making top-tier strategies accessible to smaller businesses and social ventures. Under her leadership, Umanshi has delivered impressive results, earning recognition through prestigious awards like the ET Kaleido Awards 2024 and Bharat Startup Awards 2023.
Can you share a bit about your background and how your journey led you to the world of marketing and branding?
Imagine this: 2001, the blazing heat of Mumbai, and a class 12 student knocking on doors in the western suburbs, trying to get consumer insights. That was me doing a summer job for IMRB, India’s largest market research firm. Little did I know, those sweltering afternoons would ignite a passion that would shape my career. Fast forward to date, and I’ve had the privilege of working with over 200 brands across 60 industries, from HSBC and Citi to Bridgestone and Qatar Airways. My journey took me from agency life, Times of India/ Percept Sports & Entertainment to the client side, where I led marketing for a billion-dollar global firm, AllCargo Logistics in over 160 countries. And when I wanted to start a venture, my craft, marketing came along with me. Even after almost 2 decades of being a marketer, it continues to amaze me what a powerful tool it is!
Tell us about your venture, Umanshi Marketing. What services does it offer and what makes it different from the rest?
Umanshi is a full-stack marketing and branding agency delivering services primarily across 3 areas –
- Branding
- Digital Marketing
- PR
We have worked with over 50 industries and 140 brands.
What differentiates us from others?
We focus on understanding your unique challenges and crafting strategies that deliver real, tangible results. Whether it’s full-stack marketing, branding, or PR, our approach is always business-first. For us, it’s not about winning awards (though we’ve got those too); it’s about seeing our clients succeed and grow. Some of the business quests that we help solve:
- New market entry
- Category creation
- Revenue growth
- Customer acquisition
- Employer branding
- Investor advocacy
We are our clients’ outsourced/ extended marketing team at the cost of an agency!
What inspired you to start Umanshi Marketing?
After nearly 1.5 decades of working with some of the biggest brands in the world, I saw firsthand the power of marketing to transform businesses. But I also noticed something troubling: while large corporations had access to top-tier marketing resources, smaller businesses and social ventures often struggled to get noticed, let alone thrive.
This realization struck a chord with me. I wanted to democratize marketing, making it accessible to those who needed it most—the underdogs. I believed that with the right strategy, even an SME with a limited budget could achieve remarkable success.
So, in 2019, I took the plunge and founded Umanshi Marketing. My goal was simple: to bring the same level of strategic thinking and creativity that big brands enjoy to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and social ventures. By focusing on real, measurable results rather than just flashy campaigns, we’ve been able to help our clients not only survive but thrive in an increasingly competitive market.
Can you share a success story that captures the essence of what Umanshi Marketing does?
Imagine a 500% jump in job applications, a 280% increase in offer acceptance rates, and a 45% surge in traffic to your careers page—all without spending a single rupee on advertising. That’s exactly what we achieved for Lingaro, a Polish IT giant looking to establish its brand in India’s crowded tech market.
Despite their global presence, Lingaro was virtually unknown in India. To change that, we developed an “Employee Experience Journey Mapping” strategy. We identified what different groups—freshers, mid-career professionals, and senior talent—were looking for and crafted narratives that resonated with each.
Through targeted media coverage, thought leadership articles and exclusive CEO interviews, we worked on Lingaro’s employer branding. The results were game-changing, proving that with the right approach, even a virtually unknown brand can attract top talent in one of the world’s most competitive markets. This is what Umanshi Marketing does— solve business challenges!
What are some of the other IIMB alumni ventures you’ve worked with, and how did these collaborations play out?
Over 60% of our business comes from IIMB and its network. We’ve done marketing and PR with IIMB alumni-associated ventures across industries such as Primes & Zooms, Anthem Biosciences, Arivupro, TransportHub, FootSecure, 1001 STORIES, FlexiBees, Chakraview, SOUL and GroCurv to name a few. For each venture, we have attempted to achieve unique business ambitions. For example, with TransportHub, we didn’t just help them with website creation but also brand positioning given how complicated their tech offering was. With Footsecure, we are helping their build category and thought leadership in the unheard domain of podiatry. These engagements are more than just business—they’re about empowering each other.
Umanshi Marketing has won several awards recently. What do these accolades mean for you and your team?
Winning some of the highest honours such as a Gold in ET Kaleido Awards 2024 and the Bharat Startup Awards 2023 has given us impetus both in terms of team confidence and brand visibility. On a few platforms, we were competing against global brands with all the might and yet work managed to shine or shall we say outshine them! These aren’t just any awards; they’re a validation from the industry which means a lot! They inspire us to keep challenging the status quo and most importantly, keep delivering results that matter to our clients.
How do you see your role in giving back to IIMB and the startup ecosystem?
Giving back is a responsibility. Since 2019, I have been involved with IIMB’s NSRCEL, mentoring startups through programs like the Goldman Sachs 10K Women Entrepreneurs Program and The Velocity Program. I have mentored over 90 startups here. Beyond that, I was closely engaged with IIMB to develop the revolutionary undergraduate program, the BBA in Digital Business and Entrepreneurship. Its goal is to create an entrepreneurial mindset at scale in India, and I’m honored to be part of this mission.
What’s the most valuable lesson you learned at IIMB that you still carry with you today?
If there’s one lesson from IIMB that has stayed with me is this: when you’re starting out, you need to lean on the people who believe in you, even when no one else does. Entrepreneurship course Professor K Kumar’s advice about the “3Fs”—friends, family, and fools—was more than just a clever saying; it was a strategy for survival. That’s how I got Umanshi off the ground. But beyond that, IIMB taught me that nothing is impossible – most of the largest global organisations have started from garages. It is your strategic and critical thinking coupled with a high amount of grit that will get you places. The case studies of Southwest Airlines, Aravind Eye Hospital, etc taught us that history is written by disruptors . These lessons have been my guiding star through the ups and downs of building a business.
What is your ask from the IIMB alumni community?
IIMB network is one of the most powerful out there. My ask is simple: if you or you know anyone is looking to amplify your brand, drive growth or needs some marketing magic, let’s connect. Umanshi Marketing is here to help, and I’d love to explore how we can collaborate. Beyond business, I’m always open to mentoring, brainstorming, or simply sharing experiences. Together, we can create success stories that go beyond individual achievements and make a real impact.
Tamanna Gupta’s journey, from her early days in Mumbai to leading Umanshi Marketing, showcases her commitment to democratizing marketing for startups and SMEs. Her story highlights the power of strategic thinking and passion, inspiring others to leverage marketing as a tool for transformative business growth. Connect with Tamanna on LinkedIn and explore more about Umanshi Marketing at www.umanshi.com.
