YouTube Continues to Dominate India’s Video Ad Market, Not 70% of Digital Spend
YouTube remains a dominant force in India’s digital video advertising ecosystem. However, recent industry reports indicate that claims of YouTube accounting for 70% of India’s total digital ad revenue are inaccurate. The platform’s strength lies primarily in online video, not the entire digital advertising market.
Key Developments
According to recent reports, digital advertising now represents the largest share of India’s overall ad spend. This includes search, social media, display, e-commerce ads, and online video.
YouTube’s estimated share of India’s total digital ad revenue stands closer to one-fifth. Industry data places its contribution at roughly 20–22%, rather than the widely circulated 70% figure.
Within the online video segment, YouTube’s position is significantly stronger. Alongside Meta platforms, it accounts for a majority share of India’s digital video ad revenues.
Social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, continue to command a large portion of digital ad budgets. Search and retail media further dilute YouTube’s share of total digital spend.
Industry & Expert Context
YouTube operates within a highly diversified digital advertising landscape. Unlike earlier years, advertiser budgets are now spread across social media, e-commerce platforms, OTT streaming services, and performance channels.
YouTube has also expanded its monetisation ecosystem. The platform now offers multiple revenue streams, including advertising, subscriptions, creator tipping tools, brand partnerships, and commerce integrations.
According to platform disclosures, a majority of monetising creators in India rely on YouTube as their primary income source. Thousands of Indian channels now earn sustainable annual incomes, reflecting YouTube’s scale in the creator economy.
Industry analysts note that confusion around market share often arises from mixing video-specific dominance with overall digital advertising figures.
Why This Matters
For advertisers, accurate market understanding is critical for media planning. Overestimating YouTube’s share of total digital ad revenue can lead to imbalanced budget allocation.
For creators, YouTube’s dominance in video monetisation remains clear. The platform continues to provide predictable revenue opportunities compared to newer short-form platforms.
For the industry, this distinction highlights the growing complexity of India’s digital advertising market. No single platform controls the ecosystem end-to-end.
Clear segmentation between video, social, search, and retail media is increasingly important for strategic decision-making.
What Happens Next
According to recent reports, India’s digital ad market is expected to continue expanding at a steady pace. Online video will remain a key growth driver, benefiting platforms like YouTube.
Competition, however, is intensifying. OTT platforms, short-form video apps, and live sports streaming are attracting larger advertising budgets.
YouTube is likely to deepen its focus on commerce, creator monetisation, and connected TV advertising to defend its leadership in video.
Advertisers are expected to adopt more diversified digital media strategies rather than relying on a single platform.
Final Takeaway
YouTube continues to dominate India’s online video advertising market, but it does not account for 70% of the country’s total digital ad revenue. Its true strength lies in video reach, creator monetisation, and platform maturity.
Digilogy tracks these digital media trends closely to help brands understand where scale, efficiency, and opportunity truly lie.
