AD Agencies
India’s top 100 advertisers set to chase Rs 1.15 lakh crore in 2026
New Delhi: India’s biggest advertisers are gearing up for a spending spree. Fresh Adex estimates show marketing spends crossing Rs 1.15 lakh crore in 2026, with digital accounting for more than half of total outlays and the top 100 brands tightening their grip on the market.
Data tracking ad spends across 2024 and projected growth through 2025 suggests rising concentration at the top. Around 35 per cent of total adex is expected to come from just the top 50 marketers, underscoring the growing clout of a handful of deep-pocketed brands.
India crossed the Rs 1,00,000 crore advertising milestone in 2025, posting over 10 per cent year-on-year growth, making it the fastest-growing major ad market globally. The pace shows little sign of easing.
At the summit, FMCG remains unshakeable. Unilever continues to lead the pack, with Procter & Gamble, Reckitt, Mondelēz International, Godrej Consumer Products, ITC, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, L’Oréal, Amul, Nestlé and Colgate-Palmolive showing no appetite for budget cuts.
Reliance Industries is expected to overtake India’s second-largest advertiser, closing in on Unilever at the top of the table. Autos are the next big battleground, with at least 25 new car and two-wheeler launches pushing Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Honda and Hero MotoCorp to step up spending.
Digital-first brands are now firmly entrenched among the heavyweights. Amazon, Google and Flipkart sit alongside quick commerce players Swiggy, Zomato and Zepto, reflecting a decisive shift in where the money follows attention.
Fintech is emerging as the fastest-growing category. Groww, NPCI and Angel One are scaling spends rapidly, filling the vacuum left by gaming firms, which saw the sharpest pullback in 2025.
India’s home-grown stalwarts—LIC, Asian Paints, UltraTech Cement and Havells—continue to deploy capital steadily, while pan masala advertisers remain reliably aggressive, indifferent to cycles or sentiment.
Behind the numbers lies a structural shift. Television budgets are steadily moving towards connected TV, OTT platforms, digital video and OOH screens as advertisers chase sharper targeting and measurable returns.
The conclusion is blunt: the chase for India’s top 100 advertisers will be brutal in 2026—but the real opportunity may lie just beyond them. In a slowing global economy, India’s ad engine is still accelerating.
AD Agencies
Prakash Nair reportedly quits Ogilvy after 23 years
One of the agency’s longest-serving leaders has moved on, with his next destination still unknown
MUMBAI: After more than two decades at one address, Prakash Nair has left the building. The president and head of office, north at Ogilvy has moved on from the agency, according to highly placed industry sources. His next move remains unknown. Ogilvy did not respond to requests for comment.
Nair spent over 23 years at the agency, making him one of its longest-serving senior figures. He was elevated to lead the Gurugram office in April 2022, a role that put him at the helm of Ogilvy’s northern operations at a time of considerable churn across the advertising industry.
Before taking charge in the capital, Nair served as associate president at Ogilvy Mumbai, where he worked on some of the agency’s most prized accounts, including Mondelez, Tata Motors, and BP Castrol. Over the years, he built a reputation for driving modern, integrated, and award-winning work, the kind that wins metals at Cannes and keeps clients from straying.
His departure was marked in style. A farewell gathering was held in Delhi, attended by senior figures from across the advertising fraternity, a signal of the regard in which Nair is held in an industry that does not always pause to say goodbye properly.
Where he goes next is the question the industry is now asking. After 23 years at one of the world’s most storied agencies, the answer, when it comes, will be worth watching.
