Brands
Auto sector’s TV ad volumes slide as digital triples and print surges, finds TAM AdEx
India’s car and two-wheeler brands are pouring money into digital and print while television ad volumes slide, with Maruti Suzuki India ruling the airwaves, the pages and the algorithms alike
MUMBAI: India’s auto sector advertisers are shifting gears. Television is losing ground, digital is surging, print is booming and radio is quietly doubling up — that is the headline finding from TAM AdEx’s cross-media advertising recap for 2025, covering January to December across TV, print, radio and digital.
The television story is one of steady retreat. Auto sector ad volumes on TV fell 22 per cent in 2025 compared to 2021, with Q2 and Q4 of 2025 posting moderate declines of 12 per cent and 2 per cent respectively. The one bright spot was Q3, which surged 26 per cent over Q1, driven by the August-to-October festival window — the three months that accounted for the highest monthly shares of 11 per cent, 13 per cent and 13 per cent respectively. November was the dullest month, scraping just 3 per cent. On TV, cars dominated with a 47 per cent share of ad volumes, followed by two-wheelers at 34 per cent. The newly launched Skoda Kylaq emerged as the top brand with a 5 per cent share. Maruti Suzuki India and Hero Motocorp tied at the top of the advertiser table with 11 per cent each, while Mahindra & Mahindra and Renault India were new entrants in the top ten. Auto advertisers overwhelmingly preferred news channels, which commanded 67 per cent of TV ad volumes, with movies a distant second at 16 per cent. News bulletins accounted for 54 per cent of programme genre preference. Prime time, between 6pm and 11pm, was the dominant time-band with 38 per cent of ad volumes. The preferred ad length was 20 to 40 seconds, accounting for 79 per cent of spots.
Print told a very different story — one of robust growth. Ad space for the auto sector expanded 50 per cent in 2025 over 2021, with a further 13 per cent rise over 2024. Q4 was the standout quarter, surging 27 per cent over Q1, and September was the peak month with a 16 per cent share of ad space. Cars led with 58 per cent of print ad space, two-wheelers followed at 34 per cent. Maruti Suzuki India was the dominant print advertiser with a 19 per cent share, with the top ten advertisers together accounting for 72 per cent of ad space. Sales promotions drove 67 per cent of print advertising, with multiple promotions accounting for 55 per cent of that figure and discount promotions for 43 per cent. Hindi-language publications commanded 42 per cent of ad space, with the top five languages combining for 83 per cent. The north zone led regional advertising with a 33 per cent share, and New Delhi and Mumbai were the top two cities nationally.
Radio was the quiet overachiever. Auto sector ad volumes on radio more than doubled in 2025 compared to 2021, with Q4 clocking 26 per cent growth over Q1. Maharashtra and Gujarat each held 15 per cent of radio ad volumes by state, with the top five states together accounting for 58 per cent. Cars dominated the radio category mix with a dominant 71 per cent share, and Maruti Suzuki India was the runaway leader among advertisers with a commanding 37 per cent share. Five of the top ten radio brands belonged to Maruti Suzuki. Auto advertisers preferred evening and morning time-bands on radio, which together accounted for 84 per cent of ad volumes.
Digital was the big winner of the five-year period. Ad impressions for the auto sector grew nearly three times in 2025 compared to 2021, though Q4 saw a 27 per cent dip in impressions compared to Q1, suggesting some fatigue or budget reallocation towards the year’s end. March and June were the peak months with 10 per cent each; October and November were the weakest at 6 per cent each. Cars led digital ad impressions with a 61 per cent share, trailed by two-wheelers at 15 per cent. Maruti Suzuki India was again the top digital advertiser with a 25 per cent share, while Jaguar Land Rover India made a remarkable leap to third place from 28th in 2024. Ki Mobility Services and Eicher Motors were also new entrants in the top ten. Programmatic buying accounted for 94 per cent of digital ad transactions, with programmatic and programmatic-ad-network methods together commanding 96 per cent.
Across every medium, the story is the same name: Maruti Suzuki India. It topped the advertiser charts on television, print, radio and digital. In India’s auto advertising landscape, every road appears to lead back to the same parking lot.
Brands
ZEEL transfers syndication business, invests Rs 505 crore in IP push
Restructuring, stake buy and FCCB moves signal sharper content strategy
MUMBAI: In the content economy, owning the story is half the battle monetising it is the real game, and Zee Entertainment Enterprises is doubling down on both. The company has approved the transfer of its syndication and content licensing business to its wholly owned subsidiary ZI-IPR Enterprises, alongside an investment of Rs 505 crore aimed at strengthening its play in content intellectual property (IP) acquisition, management and monetisation. The move, effective April 1, 2026, will see the business transferred on a slump sale basis at book value, including all associated assets, liabilities and commercial rights effectively consolidating IP operations under a more focused structure.
At its core, the restructuring signals a strategic shift. As content consumption increasingly fragments across digital and global platforms, the value of IP lies not just in creation but in how efficiently it can be distributed, repackaged and monetised across markets. By housing its syndication engine within ZI-IPR Enterprises, ZEEL appears to be building a more agile and scalable ecosystem, one that can better extract value from its vast content library while adapting to evolving distribution models.
But the company’s ambitions are not limited to restructuring. ZEEL has also approved an investment of up to Rs 20.09 crore in Culture of Real Experiences (CORE), acquiring a 51 per cent stake in the entity. The move expands its footprint into the broader creative and experiential space, suggesting a push beyond traditional broadcasting into areas where content, culture and immersive experiences intersect.
At the same time, ZEEL has moved to tidy up its financials, approving the redemption of $23.9 million in outstanding foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) and cancelling an unused $215.1 million commitment. The twin steps are expected to ease pressure on its treasury, freeing up capital and improving financial flexibility as the company invests more aggressively in its IP strategy.
Taken together, the decisions reflect a company in recalibration mode streamlining legacy structures, sharpening its focus on content ownership, and exploring new avenues for growth. In a market where the lines between television, streaming and experiential entertainment are increasingly blurred, ZEEL’s latest moves suggest it is not just creating content, but building a system to make that content travel further and pay better.
