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
Ekart expands IKEA partnership with EV deliveries in Chennai
3PL to handle 600 plus products with 48 hour delivery via EV fleet.
MUMBAI: Flatpacks are going electric and your sofa might now arrive with a smaller carbon footprint. Ekart has expanded its partnership with IKEA to power last-mile deliveries in Chennai, doubling down on speed, scale and sustainability in one of India’s key urban markets. Under the collaboration, Ekart will manage end-to-end large-format deliveries for IKEA across the city using a 100 per cent dedicated electric vehicle fleet. The move makes Chennai the second major market after NCR-Delhi where Ekart handles IKEA’s last-mile logistics, signalling a broader rollout of EV-led supply chains.
The mandate is no small load. Ekart will oversee deliveries for over 600 products from IKEA’s catalogue, ranging from furniture to home décor—categories that demand specialised handling and precision logistics.
Backed by its technology-driven fulfilment network, Ekart is targeting deliveries within a 48-hour window, offering real-time tracking and end-to-end visibility from warehouse to doorstep. The focus is clear: faster turnarounds without compromising on control or customer experience.
The EV-first model also aligns with both companies’ sustainability goals, as urban logistics increasingly shifts towards zero-emission solutions. For IKEA, which continues to expand its omnichannel presence in India, reliable and eco-conscious last-mile delivery is becoming central to scale.
For Ekart, the partnership reinforces its positioning as an enterprise-grade logistics player in large-format commerce. The company already supports over 1,800 retail, D2C and enterprise brands, spanning last-mile delivery, part-truckload services and warehousing.
As India’s logistics ecosystem evolves, this collaboration highlights a growing trend: delivery is no longer just about distance, it’s about efficiency, experience and increasingly, emissions.
