Smytten appoints Shishir Varma to lead PulseAI research platform

Smytten has appointed Shishir Varma as the head of its PulseAI Research platform, marking a leadership expansion for its AI-driven consumer intelligence business.

PulseAI Research, formerly known as Smytten PulseAI, is positioned as an intelligence platform that combines AI models with real consumer behaviour to generate faster and more actionable insights for brands. The platform has been central to Smytten’s push into enterprise-grade research capabilities.

Varma joins with over three decades of experience in consumer insights and analytics, including leadership roles across APAC markets. Most recently, he served as Managing Director, Insights at Kantar Japan and has previously played a key role in scaling Millward Brown in India.

The appointment comes as PulseAI Research scales its enterprise footprint, with more than 150 clients onboarded within 18 months. The platform uses Smytten’s user ecosystem to capture observed consumer behaviour rather than relying only on survey-based inputs.

At the core of its positioning is the integration of behavioural data with AI and large language model-driven analysis. This enables real-time sentiment tracking, continuous brand intelligence, and faster qualitative and quantitative research cycles for enterprises.

The leadership move reflects a broader industry transition toward AI-enabled research models, where speed, scale, and real-world data are becoming central to how brands approach consumer intelligence.