What Triggered This Surge in CTV Advertising?

India’s Connected TV (CTV) advertising market recorded a 40% year-on-year growth in 2025, driven by accelerated smart TV adoption, affordable OTT bundles, and a shift toward measurable, audience-based video advertising. Industry trackers report that platforms such as YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and JioCinema saw double-digit ad inventory growth as brands increasingly reallocated budgets from traditional linear television to digital screens.

Most mainstream media reports highlight the growth number but overlook regional consumption spikes, programmatic adoption, and sector-specific demand, creating a gap in understanding for marketers and business leaders. This article fills that gap with deeper analysis, updated data, and India-focused insights designed to outperform competing coverage.

How Does This Compare With Existing Media Reports?

Most news portals reference:

• Smart TV penetration touching 50M households
  
  
• Higher OTT watch-time per household
  
  
• A generic industry quote from an advertising body
  
  

Weaknesses in current reports:

• No granular look at Indian metros like Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad
  
  
• Limited analysis of why CTV is becoming a preferred brand channel
  
  
• No expert perspective on budget reallocation from Meta/Google
  
  
• Missing insights on performance measurement and attribution
  
  
• No actionable takeaways for marketers
  
  

This rewritten coverage addresses these gaps with 2025-specific data, entity mentions, and marketer-ready insights, making it AI-Overview and Featured Snippet friendly.

Key Insights: What Changed in 2025?

1️⃣ Smart TV Adoption Reached a New Inflection Point

Smart TV shipments in India crossed 22 million units, according to Counterpoint Research, with metros witnessing a 30–35% increase. Falling hardware prices and bundled OTT subscriptions directly accelerated CTV advertising reach.

2️⃣ Brands Shifted Budgets From Social & Linear TV

Meta and Google still dominate digital budgets, but CTV now captures 8–12% of video ad spending, especially for:

• Real estate (launch campaigns)
  
  
• D2C brands
  
  
• Premium FMCG
  
  
• Auto and mobility
  
  
• BFSI awareness
  
  

The appeal: prime-time audience targeting without the linear TV cost structure.

3️⃣ Programmatic CTV Became Mainstream

DSPs like Google DV360 and The Trade Desk expanded their CTV integrations in India, enabling:

• Household-level audience targeting
  
  
• Frequency capping
  
  
• Cross-device attribution
  
  
• View-through conversion tracking
  
  

This directly supports performance-focused advertisers.

4️⃣ Regional Language CTV Content Exploded

Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, and Bengali content accounted for 58% of all CTV watch-time, a critical factor for regional-first advertisers in cities like Chennai and Coimbatore.

5️⃣ OTT Platforms Built Premium India-First Ad Formats

Platforms introduced:

• Pause ads
  
  
• Voice-enabled remote ads
  
  
• Shoppable CTV overlays
  
  
• Contextual dynamic creatives
  
  

These formats strengthened engagement and improved ROAS for performance-driven brands.

Why Does CTV Advertising Growth Matter in 2025?

For Digital Marketers

• Enables high-impact storytelling with measurable performance
  
  
• Reduces dependency on rising CPMs across Meta & Google
  
  
• Supports mixed-model attribution alongside paid search and social
  
  

For Real Estate & Luxury Brands

• Reaches premium households at scale
  
  
• Ideal for launch, reputation, and brand-building campaigns
  
  

For FMCG & D2C Brands

• Enables regional expansion with language-first targeting
  
  
• Offers brand lift at lower CPT compared to traditional TV
  
  

For Tech & SaaS Companies

• Enhances trust through large-screen visibility
  
  
• Useful for B2B awareness in premium urban clusters
  
  

Conclusion + Soft CTA The Bottom Line for Brands in 2025

As CTV accelerates into India’s mainstream ad ecosystem, brands must rethink their 2025 media planning strategies by integrating premium large-screen placements with performance-led digital channels. Marketers who adapt now will gain stronger brand lift, better ROI visibility, and more efficient cross-device attribution.

Digilogy, with its expertise in video advertising, media planning, and AI-ready performance frameworks, helps businesses build impactful CTV campaigns tailored for Indian audiences.
Take the next step with Digilogy now.