Ashish Khare

Ashish Khare

Competitive Strategy Architect | Author of Standard Is Not Strategy - The Standardization Trap

Ashish Khare is a Competitive Advantage Stratist who advises decision-makers operating in volatile, highstakes environments.

An alumnus of IIM Lucknow and earned project management certification from IIT Delhi. He combines analytical depth with executional clarity, with over 25 years of corporate leadership experience, in the sphere of strategic communications, creating public opinions, on ground research & activation, reputation management, political and crisis communications.

He was selected for the prestigious Ford International Fellowship, New York in 2006 and attended the University of Kansas (USA), bringing global exposure to his strategic perspective. He is an engineering dropout by choice and holds Master’s degrees in Business Management and in Journalism & Mass Communications.

He is a Google Certified Digital Marketing Expert and also holds Certification in Crisis Communication from Harvard Business School, strengthening his expertise in perception control during instability. He was one of the core members of the Balkan Peace Festival along with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and states heads of more than 13 countries.

Ashish was commissioned by the Qatar Olympic Committee to establish the brand image of Qatar as a world-class sporting nation and was also involved in managing of XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 held in New Delhi. Continuous innovation, streamlining strategy, unique insight & astute analysis, changing the axis of communication, setting up agendas, understanding of news cycle, quick response are some of his core strengths and gives competitive advantages to his clients. He has overseen the strategy development, communication operations, reputation management across multiple industries, including infrastructure, real estate, retail, financial services, information technology, education, power, media & entertainment, life insurance, sports management, healthcare, commodity sales & services and consumer products for corporates and advocacy clients like, Coca Cola, Sahara, Amity, CRS, IMS, Manos Unidas, Oxfam, CRY, Action Aid, Ford Foundation, World Bank, Republic Of Netherland.

In the political sector, along with Oakland Brigs which has association with Benenson Strategy Group, USA, known for its presidential campaign for Obama in 2008 and 2012; Phoniex UK, the international place branding panel credited with branding of London, Bejing, Ecuador, Amsterdam; Emotions Research Lab, Spain, well known for its work of emotional democracy for Obama and Mariano Rajoy; Ashish has worked for Hilary Clinton in her presidential campaign as volunteer, his strategy has also translated into the winning campaign in various election India.

Ashish has also published articles and papers in various academic journals like Wavelength, Media Matters, Dynamics of Media and directed documentaries Reaching the Unreached and Epic of Man Becoming God which were nominated for prestigious New Delhi Video Festival in 2001. He was also vice president of the International Student Association at University of Kansas, USA and a recipient of NTSE Scholarship.

His work focuses on competitive strategy, asymmetry design, narrative positioning, crisis leverage, and structural advantage. Rather than helping organizations compete better within existing frameworks, he works with leaders to redesign the strategic landscape itself.

He advises founders, CXOs, and institutions on strategic architecture, perception management, and competitive dominance in rapidly shifting markets.

Engage with him for strategic advisory, consulting mandates, and leadership interventions.

Standard is not strategy