Qcom emerges as festive advertising hotspot as brands ramp up spending

Qcom advertising is estimated to account for Rs 2,200 crore of festive ad expenditure in 2026, up 50%, as platforms increasingly become product discovery channels

In India’s festival advertising market, quick commerce (qcom) is emerging as one of the fastest-growing segments, according to a report by Datum Intelligence, a market research platform.

 

This comes as brands are expected to increase their spending on the platforms by 25-35 per cent this year, compared to last year. 

 

The report estimates that qcom advertising may account for around ₹2,200 crore of festival advertising expenditure in 2026, marking a 50 per cent increase over the previous year.

 

This would make qcom the top-growing component of the commerce advertising ecosystem.

 

The report defines commerce advertising as advertising sold by platforms where the purchase itself takes place and can be attributed to the checkout.

 

 

In all, commerce and retail media together are expected to attract around ₹11,500 crore of festival advertising spend in 2026, up 27 per cent from the previous year. Qcom is set to account for about a fifth of this pool. 

 

Qcom platforms are also increasingly functioning as product discovery platforms. According to Datum’s survey of 6,218 online shoppers, 35 per cent said they discover products on qcom apps. It is the same proportion that cited advertising across television, online and print.

 

According to the report, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), beauty and gifting categories account for up to 70 per cent of qcom festival advertising. However, platforms are also being encouraged to target newer categories such as homeware and furniture.