IIM-B Alumna Quits Global Brands to Democratise Marketing & PR for Startups & SMEs; Her Co. ‘Umanshi Marketing’ Achieves 100% Y-O-Y Growth

In a sweltering Mumbai summer of the early 2000s, a 16-year-old Tamanna Gupta knocked on doors in the city’s suburbs.

Armed with a clipboard and a relentless curiosity, she worked as a field researcher for IMRB, India’s largest market research firm.

Those sweaty afternoons, gathering consumer insights, weren’t just a summer job—they ignited a passion for marketing that would shape her life and career.

Tamanna recalls, “Understanding what drives people’s choices felt like unlocking a secret code. I was hooked.”

Fast forward two decades, and that teenage spark has grown into Umanshi Marketing, a Mumbai-based full-stack marketing agency that’s shaking up the Indian startup ecosystem.

Founded in 2019 by Tamanna, a seasoned marketer and IIM Bangalore alumna, Umanshi is on a mission to democratise marketing, bringing world-class marketing & PR services to startups, SMEs, and social enterprises. 

The Backstory:

Tamanna’s journey to Umanshi Marketing was anything but linear.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in commerce, she dove into the corporate world, crafting campaigns for global giants like Volkswagen, HSBC, Bridgestone, etc.

Her career was a masterclass in sales and marketing prowess, spanning over 15 years and 7 countries.

Yet, something was missing!

“I loved the thrill of building and growing brands throughout my career, but I kept wondering why only the big players got to play,” says Tamanna Gupta, now the founder and CEO of Umanshi, during an exclusive interview with Startup Pedia.

In 2013, craving deeper expertise, Tamanna enrolled in IIM Bangalore’s rigorous and prestigious Executive Post Graduate Programme.

The IIM experience sharpened her strategic edge and expanded her network, but it was her stint at Emiza Inc., a logistics startup, in 2017, that changed everything.

Leading Emiza’s corporate sales, she leveraged her skills to land clients like Panasonic, Singer, and Bajaj in just 6 months.

The revelation was stark: startups had incredible products but often neglected branding and PR.

“Often, startups are so focused on their short-term sales targets that they miss the long-term power of branding and marketing. I saw a gap that needed to be filled,” Tamanna shares with Startup Pedia.

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The Birth of Umanshi Marketing:

In the summer of 2018, Tamanna quit her stable job.

A family trip to Europe offered a brief respite, but her mind was already racing. Back in Mumbai, she hit the ground running, tapping into her IIM Bangalore alumni network, consulting mentors, and conducting market research—her old forte.

She tested the startup & SME markets with an MVP and, voila, secured 3 fully paying clients in the first month.

On 1st April 2019, Umanshi Marketing and Branding Pvt Ltd was officially born, a bootstrapped venture with a bold vision: to empower India’s business underdogs and pathbreakers with integrated marketing solutions.

The name “Umanshi,” meaning the clarity of dawn, was no accident.

“We wanted our name to be meaningful just like our work. Umanshi is about bringing the light of clarity to Indian small businesses and startups striving to shine,” Tamanna explains.

However, the early days were far from clear.

Convincing startup founders to invest in marketing was like selling ice in a snowstorm. Many saw it as a luxury, not a necessity. Tamanna’s pitches were rejected, and doubts crept in.

Was her vision too ambitious for a highly competitive market?

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Pivoting to Problem-solving:

The turning point came with a strategic pivot.

Instead of selling marketing, Tamanna began pitching solutions to specific business problems: creating categories, entering new markets, boosting revenue, raising funds or attracting talent, etc.

This approach resonated deeply. Startups and SMEs started signing on, drawn to Umanshi’s promise of growing their businesses.

“We don’t just do campaigns; we solve your business challenges. We are obsessed with co-achieving your business goals. That’s what sets us apart,” Tamanna says. 

But growth brought new hurdles.

As a bootstrapped startup, managing cash flow was a tightrope walk. Tamanna and her team had to be ruthlessly efficient, stretching every rupee.

Another challenge was client retention—what Tamanna jokingly calls the “Account Mortality Rate.” Startups, with their financial volatility and leadership changes, were tough to hold onto.

To address this, Umanshi, under Tamanna’s leadership, set strict client acquisition criteria: startups had to be post-seed to Series B, SMEs needed over ₹50 crore in annual revenue (AR), and similarly, established businesses required ₹100 crore to ₹1,000 crore in AR.

This streamlined focus sharpened Umanshi’s impact and stabilised its client base. By the end of its first year, Umanshi had served over 20 clients, a modest but hard-won victory.

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A Full-stack Powerhouse:

What makes Umanshi a standout digital marketing agency is its full-stack approach, blending branding, public relations, digital marketing, and integrated marketing.

Unlike traditional agencies, it acts as an outsourced or extended CMO, embedding itself in clients’ marketing operations without the hefty price tag.

Umanshi’s services are a masterclass in versatility:-

> Branding: Crafting identities that resonate, from vision statements to go-to-market strategies.

> Public Relations: Securing media placements and managing crises with finesse.

> Digital Services: Building digital footprints through website development, SEO, social media, performance marketing, and influencer marketing.

> Integrated Marketing: Unifying strategies across channels for maximum impact.

Umanshi’s team, a mix of seasoned professionals from renowned agencies like J Walter Thompson and Omnicom, brings global expertise with a desi heart. The team’s work spans industries, proving its adaptability and creativity.

“Our clients aren’t just businesses; they’re innovators and curious professionals who want to challenge the norms. We help them change the world; change it for the better,” Tamanna says.

Success Stories That Shine:

Umanshi’s impact is best told through its results.

Take ‘The House of Misal’ - a Maharashtrian QSR struggling to attract younger diners. Umanshi’s brand strategy transformed it into an Instagrammable hotspot, leveraging influencer campaigns with platforms like Curly Tales.

The result? A 700% sales surge within a year, seven new franchises, and a spot among Mumbai’s top five QSRs.

Then there’s Givven, a tech-enabled startup facing recruitment challenges. Umanshi’s LinkedIn campaign boosted job applications by 10x, filling 20% of vacancies in a quarter. The campaign even earned a nomination, amongst the MNC brands, for the IAMAI Awards.

For Celcius Logistics Solutions, Umanshi’s PR strategy secured coverage in publications like YourStory and Mint, gaining the company over 75% share of voice in the cold-chain logistics sector.

Aligned with the client’s fundraising and expansion milestones, this comprehensive PR campaign clinched the ‘gold’ at the prestigious Economic Times Kaleido Awards 2024 in the Supply Chain – Logistics & Service Delivery Apps category.

These victories aren’t just numbers—they’re proof of Umanshi’s ability to deliver!

With 8 national awards and clients mapped across 3 countries, the agency also works with social enterprises, like empowering underprivileged youth through the Antarang Foundation, i-saksham, etc, adding a layer of community purpose to its business mission.

The Road Ahead:

Till date, Umanshi Marketing has served a total of over 150 clients in 60+ sectors, from small startups to national brands and social organisations.

Its 100% Y-O-Y growth in annual revenue is a testament to its bootstrapped resilience, but Tamanna’s eyes are on a bigger prize: a 300% revenue jump by FY 2025-26.

It is also investing in AI-led solutions across all workstreams to enhance delivery and scale. National expansion is next, with new offices planned in Delhi and Bangalore.

Umanshi Marketing’s ambition doesn’t stop there! It aims to transform 100 startups and SMEs from local to national-level brands, creating new market categories along the way.

“We’re not just a marketing agency; we’re a growth partner. India’s startup scene is buzzing, and we want to be the spark that helps entrepreneurs and SMBs shine,” Tamanna concludes with a smile.

The Indian marketing services market, projected to hit USD 72.10 billion by 2034 with a CAGR of 30.20%, is ripe for even more disruption, and Umanshi is ready to lead the charge.

This woman-led startup, born from a teenager’s curiosity and a visionary veteran’s courage, is rewriting the rules of marketing.

For Tamanna Gupta and her team, the dawn is just beginning!