TV leads ad spends in 2025 as print bounces back, digital shrinks

India’s advertising market saw a strong start in 2025, with television leading the charge. Ad spends on TV surged sharply in the first half of the year, outpacing print and radio, while digital was the only medium to shrink, according to a half-yearly report by ad-tech and media planning agency Excellent Publicity which compiled data from TAM Media Research Pvt. Ltd., TAM AdEx, and RCS India.

 

Television remained the biggest gainer in the first half of 2025, with per-channel ad spends climbing 27 per cent compared to the same period in 2024.

 

The e-commerce media, entertainment and social media category led TV ad volumes with a 25.6 per cent share. Meanwhile, Star India retained its top spot among advertisers, accounting for 16.8 per cent of volumes, while Jio Hotstar was the leading brand, the report found.

   

Sports channels dominated the medium, capturing 68.5 per cent of ad spends, followed by general entertainment channels with 15.7 per cent. Cellular phone services showed the steepest growth, expanding 17 times year-on-year, while smartphones and corporate financial institutions also posted strong gains.

 

Print records 26% ad spend growth

 

The report highlighted that print advertising posted a robust 26 per cent increase in spends during January-June 2025 compared to the same period last year.

 

Cars were the leading category with an 8.9 per cent share, while two-wheelers recorded the highest growth at 31 per cent. Maruti Suzuki India emerged as the top advertiser, with Allen Career Institute the leading brand.

 

State-wise, Rajasthan was the highest-spending state at 15.6 per cent, while New Delhi accounted for 7.1 per cent among cities. More than 87,000 advertisers and over 1.04 lakh brands were active in print advertising during the period.

 

Radio spends up but by a meagre 4%

 

Radio advertising registered a slim 4 per cent rise in spends in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Properties and real estate retained the top category position, followed by cars. Pan masala entered the top 10 list this year.

 

Maruti Suzuki India led the advertiser rankings, while Jeena Sikho Lifecare was the top brand. Maharashtra accounted for 19.3 per cent of radio spends among states. New Delhi contributed the most among cities grabbing 18.1 per cent of the pie.

 

Hospitals and clinics saw a 23 per cent rise in advertising, while retail jewellers recorded a 28 per cent increase. Two-wheelers and cars also posted significant gains of 31 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively.

 

Digital ad spend declines 12%

 

Digital advertising was the only medium to contract, falling 12 per cent in January-June 2025 compared to the same period last year.

 

However, despite the decline, digital platforms saw the highest number of advertisers in three years. E-commerce online shopping topped the category with an 11.2 per cent share of spends. Amazon Online India led among advertisers, while Amazon.in was the top brand.

 

Programmatic buying - which relies on data and trends to automatically drive ad purchases - remained the dominant method, making up 88.3 per cent of spends. Nonetheless, category-wise, certain categories still posted sharp growth in digital ad spends: Washing powders and liquids rose 21 times, while perfumes and deodorants grew six times compared to last year.

 

Commenting on the trends, Vaishal Dalal, co-founder and director of Excellent Publicity, said: “What’s really interesting is how brands are navigating a delicate balance. TV still captures attention, radio keeps the connection local and relatable, print is earning back trust, and digital is becoming sharper and more targeted. The brands that truly succeed are the ones that recognise what each medium does best, while staying flexible, innovative, and creative.”