The seventh edition of the Havas CX X Index report highlights a critical juncture for brands operating in the Indian market. Based on a survey of 59,000 consumers across eight global markets and 47 brands in India, the report identifies a widening “Experience Gap” between brand promises and the everyday reality of consumer interactions.
The central finding of the 2025 study is the emergence of “Experience Debt.” This concept describes the accumulation of micro-misses—such as late deliveries, robotic customer service, missing confirmations, or inconsistent digital flows—that erode consumer trust. According to the data, 59% of consumers globally have already stopped purchasing from a brand after a bad experience.
The report identifies a transition in how Indian consumers evaluate brands. While previous years were defined by the “Year of Me,” focusing on hyper-personalization, the 2025 Index reveals a shift toward “Experience Proof.”
To a brand, operational glitches may seem minor; however, to the consumer, they represent a breach of contract. In India, where expectations have “leapfrogged” categories, consumers no longer compare a bank only to its direct competitors. They compare a bank’s app to their preferred grocery delivery service. If a quick-commerce platform can deliver in ten minutes with live tracking, a three-day wait for an insurance update is perceived as a relic of a legacy system.
The 2024 Index was defined by a focus on personalization. However, the 2025 data indicates a “maturation of judgment.” Driven by higher expectations, tighter attention spans, and cross-category comparisons, consumers are increasingly prioritizing functional promises—asking “Does it work?”—over mere recognition—“Does it know me?”
Functional excellence has emerged as the primary filter of trust. Yet, the report warns against becoming a soulless utility. The Emotional Pillar remains a “powerful multiplier.”
As the report states, when functional promises hold up, emotion is what elevates the brand.
The report ranks brands based on their ability to close the gap between promise and delivery. Tata Motors leads the India Index, followed by Tata CLIQ Luxury and OnePlus.
The top-performing categories—Automotive, Hospitality, and Technology—maintain tight control over the Trust-Delivery Gap. Automotive is cited as the most mature CX category, winning because it owns the entire chain, from product integrity to service dependability and last-mile execution. In this sector, Tata Motors holds the lead for the second consecutive year.
Hospitality shows a distinctive spread in how brands translate expectations into delivery. Taj and Oberoi are recognised for managing heavy expectation loads through stable service routines. In the Technology sector, the strongest performers design for fluidity. Apple remains the benchmark-setter for the category. Conversely, the least-performing categories for 2025 are Banking, Fashion & Luxury, and Insurance.
Havas offers a “Proof Stack” for brands aiming to close the gap between marketing communication and fulfillment:
David Shulman, Global CEO of Havas CX, utilised the “Path of Desire” analogy to illustrate the gap between brand intent and consumer reality. It is borrowed from landscape architecture; the term describes the dirt paths people create when they find a more efficient route than the one paved for them.
The 2025 Index indicates that competitive advantage lies in accommodating these natural pathways rather than forcing customers to adhere to internal corporate silos. In the current landscape, a brand is defined less by its advertising and more by the sum of every micro-interaction executed correctly.
