Varun Thakar

About Varun Thakar

I’m a brand builder with 12+ years of experience across FMCG, Alcobev, travel, fintech, and D2C — leading brands like Budweiser, Cleartrip, and now Razorpay. My core expertise lies in brand strategy, storytelling, digital growth, and building teams that scale.What do I bring to the table? a marketer who can turn insight into action, build culturally resonant brands, and drive both equity and business outcomes.At Razorpay, I lead brand, product marketing, and content — shaping the narrative for India’s leading fintech and spearheading high-impact campaigns like Backing India’s Boldest at IPL 2025.Before this, at Cleartrip, I drove the post-acquisition brand transformation — launching the new brand identity, building the marketing org from scratch, and helping it become the fastest-growing OTA with 2X MAUs and a major boost in brand metrics.From managing $20M+ brand budgets to crafting award-winning campaigns, I bring the firepower of structured thinking from FMCG, the agility of D2C, and the cultural edge of tech-first brands.

Experience

1. Director of Brand Marketing

   Razorpay

   Mar 2025 — Present · Bengaluru, IN

   Driving Razorpay’s transformation into the definitive brand for India’s startup economy by leading brand, content, engage, and product marketing under one unified vision. As Director – Brand Marketing, I lead a 15+ member team across strategy, social, content, and GTM—crafting Razorpay’s founder-first voice and championing Indian entrepreneurship. Spearheaded #BackingIndiasBoldest, a first-of-its-kind IPL campaign that celebrated 35 startup founders as India’s new icons—turning startup ambition into national conversation in just 30 days through films, PR, ecosystem engagement, and social movement. My role spans long-term brand strategy, GTM for new fintech and SaaS products, founder-led storytelling, and scaling thought leadership engines—while building a fast-moving, high-ownership team culture. We\'re not just building brand love; we\'re building a cultural shift that puts India’s boldest builders at the forefront.

Education

• Goa Institute of Management (GIM)

  Master of Business Administration (MBA), Marketing/Marketing Management, General

  2012 — 2014

• Bangalore University

  Bachelor of Science (BSc), Biotechnology

  2007 — 2010