MAM
Advertising on TV continues to flourish, reveals GroupM’s Consumer Eye Research
Mumbai: GroupM has launched Consumer Eye Research, which seeks to uncover insights related to the impact of media-related technologies on brands and society. The latest edition of the report, titled “Advertising on TV: Flagging or Flourishing,” analysed the potential of advertising on television.
The findings of the survey reveal that television continues to be the most beneficial and demanding medium for advertising.
The past two decades have seen rapid transformations in the media landscape, with the number of options available to advertisers significantly increasing. Many of these options offer excellent opportunities for brands to reach audiences with high levels of precision, customization, and measurability.
While this transformation is beneficial for many advertisers, TV continues to retain a power that can be leveraged by advertisers, according to the report.
Additionally, the digital extensions of TV have not only given rise to new ways for people to consume content but have also created a myriad of opportunities for brands to engage with audiences through TV.
TV makes the world a better place
60 per cent of the surveyed respondents agreed that free TV channels make the world a better place. Hence, TV remains a very important medium for influencing mindsets and shaping cultural behaviour. The second most preferable medium to make the world a better place is the newspaper, according to 56 per cent of the survey respondents.
TV retains a unique strength in building brand equity
The report reveals that television is still the most popular channel that conveys the most positive impression of brands. In APAC, TV ads are ranked No. 1 for conveying a positive impression of brands. In fact, TV ads (39 per cent) received equal weightage alongside the recommendations of friends (39 per cent).
TV offers a brand-safe environment
73 per cent of audiences believe it is a brand’s responsibility to control where their advertising appears. 45 per cent will have a negative opinion of the brand if it appears next to inappropriate or offensive content. The report demonstrates that TV is still one of the safest environments that allow for brands to be seen next to premium, high quality content.
TV is still a tremendous entertainment platform for consumers worldwide. The verdant environment also offers many opportunities for creative innovation and impactful campaigns. More than ever before, brands can take advantage of TV’s addressable transformation by considering new formats like shoppable ads and dynamic creative ads that dangle bespoke offers in front of the target audience.
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
