Google adds shoppable ads on CTV, mastheads on mobile for YouTube in India

Google introduces shoppable CTV ads and mobile mastheads on YouTube in India, enabling QR code interaction and new shopping features for users during key moments and product launches

As YouTube continues to serve as a platform for both entertainment and shopping, U.S.-based tech giant Google has rolled out new features aimed at enhancing the shopping experience for Indian users. These include shoppable advertisements for connected televisions (CTV) and shoppable mastheads for mobile devices.

 

Launched in India at the end of May, the shoppable CTV ads allow viewers to explore and interact with products directly on the big screen using QR codes and send-to-phone options. On mobile, YouTube’s masthead—its most prominent ad placement—now features a shopping component, enabling brands to highlight new product launches and drive engagement during key moments.

 

This follows YouTube being the most-watched streaming service on CTV in India for the last 12 months, said Roma Datta Chobey, Managing Director, Digital First Businesses, Google India, in a virtual media roundtable. Additionally, 87 per cent of Indian consumers watch YouTube or YouTube Shorts as part of their shopping journey. She noted that the country’s booming digital presence and large user base have given Google an opportunity to introduce more innovative features to this segment. 

 

“Consumers are searching, streaming, scrolling, and shopping at the same time in many new ways. In today's unpredictable consumer journeys, what truly matters is how brands show up in key moments, and that's where our partnership (with advertisers and marketers) becomes more crucial than ever. While many platforms can offer reach, only Google and YouTube can help brands be present across all four of these behaviours,” Chobey added.

 

Dan Taylor, Vice President, Global Ads, Google, said the company will continue to invest in new ways to help advertisers. Later this year, Google plans to bring another feature, ads in AI (artificial intelligence) overviews, to India. This will be available for mobile and desktop mediums in English. Through this, search and shopping ads will appear directly within AI overviews when relevant to both the query and the response provided.

 

“In India, 80 per cent of Gen Z rely on Google search for shopping, discovery, research, and decision-making. We brought the power of generative AI directly into Google search with AI overviews. In our bigger markets like India and the US, we are witnessing over 10 per cent growth in the types of queries that show up,” said Chobey.