New Delhi, India – As India's economy continues its rapid ascent, the media and advertising landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, according to a recent analysis by Ashish Karnad, Executive Vice President of Hansa Research Group. This evolution, driven by technological advancements, regionalization, and changing consumer behaviors, marks a shift from traditional print and television to a dynamic, digital-first ecosystem.
In 2024, digital media surpassed television to become the largest segment in India’s Media and Entertainment (M&E) sector, contributing 32% of total revenues, according to the FICCI-EY report for 2025. Digital advertising alone experienced a 17% year-on-year growth, reaching Rs 700 billion, which now constitutes 55% of total advertising revenues. This growth is fueled by the expansion of search and social media, a 50% increase in e-commerce advertising, and significant participation from small and medium enterprises, contributing Rs 258 billion in ad spend.
Within the digital domain, video content, especially short-form videos on OTT platforms and mobile devices, continues to dominate. Meanwhile, television remains a strong cultural medium, despite a 6% decline in advertising revenues in 2024, due to the proliferation of free and connected TV. Television's cultural influence is still evident in large-scale events like the Indian Premier League (IPL), which continues to attract substantial audiences and advertising revenues, projected at Rs 50 billion in 2025.
Traditional media such as print, radio, and out-of-home (OOH) advertising are also growing, albeit at a slower pace. However, digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising has surged by 78%, now accounting for 12% of all OOH advertising.
Despite the impressive growth of digital media, challenges such as brand safety, incorrect targeting, and ambiguous return on investment (ROI) metrics persist. Marketers express concerns over ad placements next to harmful content, contextually inappropriate targeting due to reliance on digital signals, and the lack of a unified framework for evaluating digital performance.
Karnad emphasizes the need for a standardized ROI measurement system across all media platforms, urging stakeholders to invest in strategic ROI methods as real-time feedback loops. As India stands on the brink of a digital inflection point, understanding and leveraging the synergies between TV and digital media becomes essential for capitalizing on advertising investments.
This evolving landscape calls for collaboration among advertisers, agencies, and media owners to optimize ad spending through data-driven decisions that measure both reach and impact. The future of advertising in India, as highlighted by Karnad, lies not in choosing between TV and digital but in effectively measuring their interactions to maximize returns.
