India Digital Ad Spend Market Size & Forecast by Spend Value Across 100+ KPIs by Type of Advertising Channel, Format & Media, Platforms, Pricing Models, Industry, Digital Ecosystem, and Media Buying Method - Databook Q1 2026 Update

Key Trends and Drivers in Digital Ad Spend

Brands Increase Allocation Toward Regional and Vernacular Digital Content

• Rising internet penetration in Tier II and Tier III cities, along with expanding smartphone access, is driving the consumption of content in regional languages. Ecommerce, fintech, and consumer goods companies are adapting creative assets and media plans to suit linguistic diversity.
• Over the forecast period, brands are expected to increase investment in regionally targeted campaigns, often executed through influencer partnerships or short-form video. Platforms with local language capabilities and creator networks are likely to gain ad share.

Social Commerce and Influencer-Led Campaigns See Rapid Growth

• The growth of D2C brands, coupled with declining trust in conventional celebrity advertising, is pushing marketers to explore micro-influencers and community-driven endorsements. Additionally, platforms are providing monetization tools and analytics to scale influencer programs.
• This trend is expected to intensify, with agencies building specialized influencer marketing arms and brands experimenting with creator-led product launches. Ad budgets may increasingly shift toward performance-driven creator networks.

CTV and Premium Streaming Inventory Attract Larger Brand Budgets

• Increased smart TV adoption, bundled OTT plans via telecom operators, and advertiser appetite for non-skippable, high-attention formats are driving this shift. The availability of audience data and programmatic access further improves targeting.
• Over the next few years, CTV’s share of digital video ad budgets is expected to grow, particularly among BFSI, auto, and FMCG brands. Advertisers may use CTV for brand-building while layering performance metrics via QR codes and second-screen interactions.

Adtech Investments Focus on AI, Measurement, and Privacy Compliance

• Growing regulatory oversight, complex attribution across devices, and demand for real-time campaign optimization are shaping this space. Agencies are forming partnerships with martech firms to strengthen client reporting.
• The adtech ecosystem will likely become more critical to media planning decisions. Brands will seek partners that offer verifiable reach, attention metrics, and compliant targeting methods.

Retail Media Emerges as a Distinct Budget Line

• The rise of online grocery, Q-commerce apps (e.g., Zepto, Blinkit), and D2C product discovery is reinforcing the value of retail-based performance advertising. These platforms offer advertisers real-time data and a clear link to transaction outcomes.
• Retail media is expected to expand from being a tactical channel to a strategic component in omnichannel media plans. Brands may start integrating retail media insights into broader creative and audience strategies.

Competitive Landscape

Market Competition Intensifies with Platform Diversification

• India’s digital advertising landscape has become increasingly competitive, marked by the dominance of global incumbents and the rapid emergence of local challengers. Google and Meta continue to command a significant share of ad budgets across search and social media, respectively. However, Indian platforms such as ShareChat (and its video arm Moj), Dailyhunt (via Josh), and InMobi are gaining visibility through regional content strategies and audience segmentation.
• This diversification is intensifying competition across formats, especially in short-form video, influencer-led campaigns, and retail media. Advertisers are now distributing budgets across a broader mix of platforms to optimize cost-effectiveness and reach beyond urban consumers.

Ecommerce and Retail Media Channels Expand Ad Market Share

• Indian ecommerce players are building closed-loop advertising ecosystems that challenge traditional display and social channels. Amazon Ads, Flipkart Ads, and JioMart are offering native inventory, brand storefronts, and intent-based targeting linked to transaction data. D2C brands and FMCG advertisers are increasing allocation toward these environments, attracted by high conversion efficiency.
• Q-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also entered the ad space, offering sponsored listings and app-based promotions. This is leading to the emergence of niche networks within the broader digital ad ecosystem, further fragmenting advertiser focus.

Strategic Partnerships Drive Ecosystem Expansion

• Recent alliances are shaping India’s digital advertising value chain. JioCinema has partnered with multiple advertisers to monetize live sports events, including IPL and exclusive streaming rights. Prior to the integration with Viacom18 and JioCinema, Disney+ Hotstar attracted strong participation from telecom and BFSI advertisers across its mobile and CTV inventory.
• On the adtech front, players like InMobi have entered partnerships for identity solutions and retail media integration, while Times Internet continues expanding its programmatic stack. International firms such as The Trade Desk are also deepening their India presence via local alliances and educational initiatives for agencies.

Regulatory Oversight Sharpens, Especially Around Data

• India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, enacted in 2023, has started reshaping platform practices. Advertisers are under increased pressure to ensure consent-based data usage, secure storage, and auditability of consumer profiles.
• The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has also issued fresh guidelines for influencer marketing disclosures, especially in sectors like fintech and healthcare. Enforcement around transparency and accountability is expected to accelerate.
• Platforms with authenticated user data, such as telecom operators and super apps, may gain competitive leverage as targeting norms tighten. Compliance will likely be a factor in agency and brand partnerships going forward.

Market Outlook: Local Players to Gain in Specific Formats

• Over the next few years, India’s digital ad landscape is expected to see growing influence from domestic platforms, particularly in vernacular video, social commerce, and performance-led retail media. Global players will continue to anchor premium ad formats like search, CTV, and global brand campaigns.
• Programmatic adoption will expand, but with added scrutiny on data use. Measurement standards and transparency will likely become central to competitive positioning. Consolidation is not expected in the immediate term, but new entrants may emerge around AI-powered creative optimization, regional influencer marketplaces, and privacy-first ad networks.

Report Scope

India Ad Spend Market Size and Growth Dynamics

• Spend Value

India Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Advertising Channel

• Television Advertising
• Print Advertising
• Radio Advertising
• Outdoor Advertising
• Digital Advertising
• Other

India Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Television Advertising

• Linear TV Advertising
• Connected TV / OTT Video Advertising

India Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Radio Advertising

• Traditional Radio Advertising
• Digital Audio / Podcast Advertising

India Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Outdoor Advertising

• Traditional OOH Advertising
• Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Advertising

India Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Digital Advertising

• Spend Value

India Digital Ad Spend Market by Segmentation

• Search Engine Sites
• Ecommerce Sites
• News & Media Sites
• Social Media
• Gaming Platforms
• Forums & Classifieds
• Others

India Digital Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Social Media

India Digital Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Gaming Platforms

• Around Games Environment Ad Spend
• In Game Environment Ad Spend
• In Game Immersive Ad Spend
• Exclusive Advertising Games Spend

India Digital Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Format & Media

• Video
• Display
• Email
• Influencer Marketing
• Blogging and Podcasting

India Digital Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Platform

• Mobile
• Desktop and Laptop

India Digital Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Pricing Model

• Cost Per Mile (CPM)
• Cost Per Click (CPC)
• Performance Based Advertising
• Others

India Digital Ad Spend Market Segmentation by Industry

• Technology
• Travel & Hospitality
• FMCG
• Automotive
• Media & Entertainment
• Telecommunications
• Retail & Consumer Goods
• Business and Financial Services
• Pharmaceutical and Healthcare
• Public Sector
• Construction and Real estate
• Education
• Home Appliances and Furniture
• Other Industries

India Digital Ad Spend Market by Digital Ecosystem

• Walled Gardens
• Open Web / Independent Publishers

India Digital Ad Spend Market by Media Buying Method

• Programmatic Advertising
• Direct Advertising

Reasons to Buy

• Comprehensive Market Intelligence: Gain an integrated view of the full advertising landscape, covering both traditional channels (television, print, radio, outdoor) and the rapidly expanding digital advertising ecosystem. Track essential spend metrics, including channel-wise allocation, digital share evolution, and growth patterns across formats and platforms.
• Granular Coverage of Digital Advertising: Explore detailed segmentation across search engines, ecommerce platforms, news and media publishers, social networks, gaming environments, forums, classifieds, and other digital destinations. Social media and gaming are further broken down by individual platforms and ad environments, enabling precise assessment of digital inventory performance.
• Segment-Wise Insights and Cross-Analysis: Evaluate advertising trends across formats (video, display, email, influencer marketing, blogging/podcasting), device platforms (mobile vs. desktop/laptop), pricing models (CPM, CPC, performance-based), industries, and digital ecosystems (walled gardens vs. open web). Cross-segmentation supports deeper understanding of how advertisers allocate budgets across channels, formats, and audiences.
• Advertiser and Audience Behaviour Analytics: Understand how brands across sectors such as retail, BFSI, FMCG, technology, automotive, media, healthcare, education, and others, distribute their digital budgets. Assess audience engagement patterns and platform choices, providing actionable insights into reach, attention, and return on spend.
• Digital Infrastructure and Ecosystem Readiness: Assess the maturity of the enabling digital ecosystem, CTV/OTT expansion, and programmatic infrastructure, all of which shape the evolution of digital advertising models and automated buying practices.
• Data-Driven Forecasts and KPI Benchmarking: Access a comprehensive dataset of 100+ KPIs with historical and forecast data through 2029, offering visibility into channel evolution, digital acceleration, format-level momentum, and emerging opportunities in programmatic buying, retail media, gaming, and CTV/OTT.
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