Rado’s Adrian Bosshard on why marketing to Indian consumers requires emotional storytelling

When a Swiss watchmaker that built its reputation on scratch-resistant materials and high-tech ceramics finds its biggest growth engine in a market known for emotional purchases and festival gifting, it goes beyond pure product appeal.

For Rado, India represents more than a commercial opportunity. It's the culmination of nearly seven decades of presence. The brand's relationship with India began in the late 1950s, part of its extensive international expansion. By 1998, it appointed its first Indian ambassador, tennis champion Leander Paes, followed by actress Lisa Ray in 2000 and published advertisements in English-language publications like The Times of India in 1978, later expanding to regional publications.

In an interview with Social Samosa, Adrian Bosshard, CEO of Rado, traces the shift in the global luxury landscape. "Historically, China was by far the largest market for many watch brands. However, after nearly two and a half decades of strong growth, the Chinese market has seen a slowdown over the past two years," he says. "Something we are not seeing in India."

The numbers back this up. India is now home to 378,810 high-net-worth individuals holding $1.5 trillion in total wealth. Swiss watch exports to India increased 20% in 2024, and the country's luxury retail market, currently at $8 billion, is expected to reach $14 billion by 2032. For Rado specifically, India has delivered high double-digit growth year on year, according to Bosshard, with demand coming from domestic consumers and Indian travellers in Dubai, Singapore, Australia, and Europe.

When it comes to its target audience, Bosshard notes, the demand comes from across India.

“Volumes are stronger in larger cities—across Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III markets—but overall, demand emerges wherever there is a concentration of population.”

Indians are more emotionally driven

What makes Rado's India story different is how the brand has adapted its communication while maintaining product integrity. Unlike markets where rational, feature-led campaigns perform well, India required a different approach.

"Storytelling is important everywhere because a watch today is more than just a way to tell time," Bosshard says. "Indian consumers, however, are more emotionally driven. Gifting plays a very important role in India, especially during occasions like Diwali and for couple watches."

This insight shaped campaigns like "The Time is Now," launched in August 2025 during the festive season. The campaign featured Hrithik Roshan with the Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Chronograph and Katrina Kaif with the Centrix Diamonds, but the messaging centred on permanence and sentiment rather than technical specifications.

In January 2026, the brand brought both ambassadors together in a narrative that placed Kaif in a light architectural space and Roshan in a volcanic landscape, two contrasting environments unified by the Rado anchor symbol. The campaigns were constructed around the emotional contexts in which Indians actually buy and gift watches.

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Bosshard explains that while value for money matters everywhere, including in Switzerland and Germany, those markets tend to be more rational. "In India, emotional messaging has a much stronger impact," he says. "These stories reflect real life, people gifting each other, couples sharing moments. Even when represented by celebrities like Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif, the message remains relatable."

The role of celebrity in Rado's India strategy is both calculated and restrained. In a market where brand awareness is already high, the challenge isn't visibility but emotional connection. The brand has been selective. Hrithik Roshan has been associated with Rado since 2011, subsequently launching its first TVC in India. 

Katrina Kaif joined as a global ambassador in 2023. Both partnerships are long-term, allowing the ambassadors to embody different facets of the brand rather than serve as interchangeable faces.

Bosshard acknowledges that while many celebrities may be interested in associating with a brand like Rado, it is essential that the individual and the platform reflect the brand's values, aesthetics, and positioning. "When that alignment is achieved, celebrity partnerships become a powerful tool to deepen emotional connection rather than merely extend reach," he says.

The communication strategy spans multiple channels. Rado maintains what Bosshard describes as a 360-degree communication approach, combining social media, digital banners, billboards, print, television, and public relations. 

Performance is tracked through sales and engagement metrics via tools like Google Analytics. 

“Compared to a decade ago, digital channels have naturally gained greater importance, and this is where we see incremental investment continuing to grow. However, traditional media remains essential for us,” he notes.

Large-format outdoor, print, PR, and television continue to play a role in reinforcing Rado's position as a global luxury brand.

Retail remains the primary communication platform

While campaigns and celebrity partnerships generate awareness, Bosshard is clear about where the brand message truly comes to life. "With 34 boutiques in India, along with multi-brand retail partners, every campaign is first brought to life in-store," he says. "The storefront, visual merchandising, and frontline staff play a key role in conveying the full brand message when consumers encounter or enter a Rado store."

This focus on boutiques over multi-brand retail has heightened over the past three years, reflecting a broader premiumisation trend in India. By 2030, over 500 million Indians are expected to move into middle and high-income brackets, with private consumption expected to surge from $1.5 trillion in 2018 to $5.7 trillion. 

Around $2 trillion of that growth is expected to come from consumers trading up to premium goods. In personal care and beauty, 59% of incremental spending is projected to go toward premium products, while in food, 25% of incremental spending is expected to go to higher-priced goods.

For Indian consumers, luxury goods function as markers of identity and aspiration. Millennials and Gen Z, who make up 61% of India's population, prioritise premium experiences even if it means saving longer or using financing options. High-value gifting during festivals is considered both auspicious and a reinforcement of social prestige. International luxury brands are viewed as badges of success and sophistication, which explains why Rado's Swiss heritage and material innovation resonate strongly despite the brand's local adaptation.

However, Bosshard is clear that adaptation doesn't mean automation. When asked about the role of artificial intelligence in marketing, he draws a firm line. While AI supports administrative functions and operational workflows, he claims, creativity remains a human domain. "When it comes to creativity, whether in campaign design, product design, or brand storytelling, we rely entirely on human input," he says. "Our watches and campaigns are created by designers and creatives who deeply understand the brand and can express its DNA with emotion and authenticity."

This insistence on human judgment extends to distribution strategy. The team is actively reviewing the entire retail network to build a more selective, high-quality structure. Over the past three years, Rado reduced reliance on multi-brand stores and invested heavily in training frontline teams to understand and communicate the brand's material innovation, movement technology, and overall values.

Looking ahead, Bosshard identifies retail partner support as a key priority for 2026. The focus is on supporting retail partners in upgrading their stores so they can fully convey the brand story, from material innovation and movement technology to overall brand values. "Ensuring that store staff understand and communicate the brand's assets effectively is a key priority," he concludes, "Supporting our partners to align brand perception with Rado's true positioning is one of our most important goals for 2026."