MAM
Indian ad industry to grow at 10.5%: ZenithOptimedia
MUMBAI: The recession plague may finally be sketching its way out of the Indian economy map, making way for the ad industry to once again fill up its hollow pockets.
According to the latest annual forecast released by Zenith Optimedia, the Indian advertising industry is poised to grow by 10.5 per cent (at current prices), declaring a step up over the 4.5 per cent growth that the industry registered this year over 2008.
The agency further predicts that advertising on TV, newspapers and magazines will grow at 11.6 per cent, 10 per cent and 11 per cent respectively.
Meanwhile, for radio, advertising is expected to grow at 14.1 per cent and internet at 16 per cent. However, cinema industry will see a at mere five per cent growth while outdoor is expected to grow marginally (two per cent).
Additionally, the report suggests that the Indian ad industry is expected to grow at a rate of 11.4 per cent and 11.8 per cent for the years 2011 and 2012 respectively.
Globally too, the advertising industry seems to be on an upswing, implying an end to a period of a worldwide economic downturn.
The Publicis-owned media agency network Zenith Optimedia foretells a 0.9 per cent growth in global ad spends in 2010 at $447.7 billion, up from the projected $443.7 billion spent this year.
“We expect the recovery to strengthen steadily as corporate and consumer confidence continue to improve, with 3.9 per cent growth in 2011 and 4.8 per cent growth in 2012,” the company said in a release.
The global boost is expected to be driven by Latin America (8.1 per cent growth), Central and Eastern Europe (2.3 per cent) and Asia Pacific, excluding Japan (3.8 per cent).
“Plenty of markets in the developing world – particularly in Asia Pacific and Latin America – have continued to grow this year, and are already picking up speed after a slowdown in the first half of 2009,” the agency said.
Meanwhile, ad expenditure is expected to shrink 2.4 per cent in North America, 0.5 per cent in Western Europe and 3.2 per cent in Japan, before mild growth returns in 2011, the report reveals.
MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
