Some people run campaigns. Others craft stories that live long after the ads have faded. Shatabdi Dutta belongs to the latter. She has spent the last 15 years shaping brands across hospitality, media, IT, and education, and if there’s one thing she’s proven, it’s this: good marketing isn’t just about selling, it’s about making people feel something.
Today, she heads Digital Marketing & Communications at the Amity Group of Education. That means leading a 15-member team and driving strategy for the Amity Group of Schools, spread across 27 campuses in India. Big job? Absolutely. But she makes it look effortless. Her work spans everything from large-scale admissions campaigns to global initiatives like AIMUN, and each one carries her signature blend of strategy and storytelling.
Ask Shatabdi what first drew her into this world, and she smiles: “I’ve always been fascinated by the power of stories, how the right message, in the right medium, can shift perception and build trust.” Hospitality gave her a foundation in creating experiences, media sharpened her instinct for PR and communications, and education gave her scale, the chance to impact thousands of young minds and their families.
Her career is filled with defining milestones. One of her favorites is the Happiness @ Sarovar campaign, which turned into a multi-platform success story. It wasn’t just about customer engagement, it helped Sarovar Hotels add more than 50 properties to its portfolio. That perfect alignment of creativity and growth also won her the title of Best Marketing Person of the Year at the Hotelier India Awards. Later, at India Today Group’s Thomson Digital, she led the launch of Q&I, an assessment-driven learning platform that reimagined how education content could be consumed.
At Amity, the challenges are different but just as rewarding. Imagine unifying communication for a network of schools spread across the country, each with its own strengths and identity. Shatabdi has found a way to bring them together under one consistent brand voice while still celebrating local stories. The result? Admissions campaigns that not only deliver results but also reflect Amity’s values of trust and excellence.
What makes her work stand out is her ability to always find the human side of a campaign. She knows that hospitality is about joy in the moment, while education is about shaping futures. The secret, she says, is emotion—whether it’s aspiration, trust, or delight, she builds narratives that touch the audience where it matters most.
But her story isn’t just about big campaigns and bigger titles. Shatabdi also believes in giving back. She mentors women entrepreneurs and often offers her expertise to help their ventures take flight. One project close to her heart has been Namz Bakehouse, where she helped translate pure passion into real visibility and sustainable growth. “Watching ventures like these grow is deeply fulfilling,” she shares. “It proves that with the right push, women can create powerful impact stories.”
Her leadership style mirrors her storytelling. She believes in empowering people with ownership and trust. When her team feels valued, they naturally push boundaries, and together they deliver results that are both creative and measurable. For her, creativity is the hook and performance metrics are the proof.
If she had to describe her journey in one line, Shatabdi keeps it simple: “A storyteller at heart, building brands that don’t just sell but inspire trust, joy, and impact.”
And perhaps that’s the real takeaway. In an industry often obsessed with numbers and clicks, Shatabdi reminds us that stories are still the strongest currency. They build trust. They inspire action. And in her hands, they become legacies.
