Digital Media Surpasses Television to Claim 41% of India’s Total Ad Spend in FY24

A Defining Shift in India’s Advertising Landscape

For the first time in India’s marketing history, digital media has officially overtaken television to claim 41% of the nation’s total advertising spend in FY24. This milestone reflects deep structural changes in consumer behavior, media consumption, and advertiser priorities.
As more Indians turn to smartphones, OTT platforms, short-form videos, and e-commerce discovery, brands are investing aggressively in digital media to stay relevant, measurable, and high-impact.

This shift marks the end of the television-dominant era and the rise of a digital economy where precision targeting matters more than mass reach.

Why Digital Media Now Leads India’s Ad Spend

The rise of digital media is powered by multiple industry forces:

1. Mobile-First Consumers

India has over 750 million smartphone users, making mobile the primary screen for entertainment, shopping, and social interaction.

2. Growth of OTT Platforms

Hotstar, JioCinema, Netflix, and Prime Video have become content hubs for younger audiences, reducing dependency on traditional TV.

3. Short-Form Video Boom

Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Moj dominate daily content consumption — all of which are digital media channels brands can measure and optimize.

4. Performance-Driven Campaigns

Digital offers:

• ROI tracking
  
  
• Conversion data
  
  
• Funnel metrics
  
  
• Realtime optimization
  
  

This makes digital media a smarter investment for brands under pressure to justify every rupee.

TV Still Has Relevance — But Not Leadership

While television remains important for sports, news, and family entertainment, it no longer dominates ad budgets. Urban audiences, especially millennials and Gen-Z, are shifting heavily toward digital media, leading advertisers to reallocate budgets from GEC channels to more measurable platforms.

Even in rural markets, data packs and affordable smartphones have accelerated this transition.

Sectors Fueling Digital Media Growth

Several industries have sharply expanded their digital media spending in FY24:

• E-commerce
• BFSI
• Edtech
• Gaming
• Auto
• Retail
• Beauty & Personal Care
• D2C brands
• OTT & entertainment

These categories depend on quick optimization, geo-targeting, influencer marketing, and measurable traffic — areas where digital media excels.

Rise of AI in Media Buying

One of the strongest reasons behind digital surpassing TV is AI-driven advertising.
AI tools now optimize:

• Bids
• Creatives
• Audiences
• Placements
• Attention signals

Brands use AI to allocate budgets toward high-performing clusters, making digital media significantly more efficient than traditional broadcast advertising.

Influencer Marketing Becomes Mainstream

Creators have become a central pillar of the digital media ecosystem.
From regional influencers to micro-creators to experts on YouTube, brands now rely on creators for:

• Product demos
  
  
• Real reviews
  
  
• “Day in the life” content
  
  
• Live commerce
  
  
• Launch announcements

Influencer marketing contributes a significant chunk to India’s overall digital media spend, driven by authenticity and niche audience appeal.

Regional Language Content Accelerates Digital Adoption

With Internet growth spreading to Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities, the demand for Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, and Marathi content has exploded.

Regional campaigns on digital media provide:

• Higher retention
  
  
• Better recall
  
  
• Lower costs
  
  
• Stronger cultural resonance

Brands now create multilingual assets as part of every major rollout.

What This Means for Indian Brands

The dominance of digital media signals a new reality — marketing must become:

• Data-driven
  
  
• Personalised
  
  
• Performance-led
  
  
• Creator-powered
  
  
• Hyper-local
  
  
• Mobile-first

Marketing teams that embrace this shift will win more attention, conversions, and lifetime customer value than ever before.

Scale Your Digital Strategy with Digilogy

If your brand wants to leverage the power of digital media, Digilogy can help you build:

• High-performing digital campaigns
  
  
• AI-driven media strategies
  
  
• Creator programs
  
  
• Full-funnel performance frameworks

Get started with Digilogy today and stay ahead in India’s new digital-first ad ecosystem.