MAM
Kantar report unveils India’s latest trends on health and wellness
MUMBAI – Kantar released its ‘Health and Wellness in India’ report today, revealing significant shifts in consumer behaviour and preferences. Based on Kantar’s ‘India in Search’ report, which curates 2024 Google search data, this comprehensive report delves into the Health & Wellness category, highlighting emerging trends and key areas of interest shaping the future of health and wellness in the country.
Covering 15 key topics, the Health and Wellness in India report delves into various aspects of health and wellness, including Nutrients & Supplements, Skin Health, Physical Fitness, Weight Management, Cognitive & Mental Health, Women’s Health, Gut Health, Alternative Medicine, Sleep, Immune Health, Hydration, Lifestyle Choices, Advanced Medicine, Detoxification, and Longevity.
Whether it is about shaping a brand, building a category, or driving marketing strategy, the emerging wellness trends offer a powerful lens into what matters most to Indian consumers today. By tapping into what India is searching for, marketers can unlock fresh opportunities to evolve their brand’s relevance and impact. Here are some key findings:
1. Nutrients & Supplements: 2.7M searches for Vitamin B12. 54 per cent growth YoY for Vitamin B12 rich foods.
2. Skin Health: 30 per cent growth in searches for Sensitive Skin compared to the previous year.
3. Physical Fitness: Walking and low-intensity fitness reclaiming space with 121K–89K+ searches for “walk”, “walking shoes”, “brisk walk”, and even tools like “walking pad”.
4. Weight Management: GLP1 Drug-linked searches like Ozempic (+216 per cent), Zepbound (+943 per cent), Tirzepatide (+188 per cent), and Mounjaro (+94 per cent) reflect mainstream adoption of medical-grade solutions
5. Cognitive Health: Searches for Cortisol saw a 59 per cent growth overall this year.
6. Women’s Health: Mood and Menstruation raise curiosity with “follicular phase mood” (+357 per cent), “luteal phase symptoms” (+99 per cent), and “4 phases of menstrual cycle and moods” (+145 per cent) all seeing positive growth.
7. Gut Health: Common digestive discomfort issues like bloating (58K) and acidity (47K) saw an increase in interest.
8. Alternative Medicine: Homeopathy clinics searches are on the rise: “homeo shop near me” (+32 per cent), “homeo medical shop,” “homeopathy near me” (+48 per cent)
9. Sleep: Searches for Melatonin in various formats like spray, gummies, tablets etc. were 4.5M and grew over the year at 27 per cent.
10. Lifestyle choices: Sugar free options and sugar substitutes were searched 7.4M times, a 14 per cent increase compared to 2023.
The top 5 key trends that emerge are:
1. Function-first wellness: The pursuit of visible outcomes
In a significant trend, consumers are increasingly focusing on goal-driven health, with a notable rise in searches related to skincare, weight management, and workouts. The pursuit of wellness is now measured, optimised, and outcome-based, as evidenced by the 26.6 million searches, reflecting a 39 per cent growth. Key insights reveal a surge in interest for products like collagen for skin health, melatonin for better sleep, and pre-workout supplements for enhanced energy.
2. Science-framed self-care: Clinical & conscious betterment
In a growing trend, health is being approached with a clinical and conscious mindset, treating it more like a protocol rather than a preference. This shift is reflected in the 14.6 million searches, showing a 13 per cent growth. Consumers are increasingly interested in GLP-1 weight loss drugs, cognitive supplements, and hormonal tracking. These searches indicate a rising demand for scientifically backed self-care solutions that prioritise clinical efficacy and conscious betterment.
3. Inner Health = Outer Power: Transformations from the Inside Out: People are increasingly linking nutrition, gut health, and immunity to beauty, weight management, mood, and even long-term aging. This trend is highlighted by the 14.5 million searches, showing a 15 per cent growth. There is a sharp surge in queries around biotin, collagen, and multivitamins for skin and hair health, indicating that wellness begins within and radiates outward.
4. Daily systems & cycle care: Regulating through routines
Health is becoming habitual, rhythmic, and tech-assisted, with consumers syncing to cycles, tracking hydration, and sticking to morning rituals. This trend is reflected in the 9.9 million searches, showing a 9 per cent growth. High search volumes for terms like “menstrual cycle” and “periods” underscore the importance of daily systems and cycle care. Women in India are moving from passive consumers of reproductive care to active, data-seeking participants in their health journeys.
5. Natural systems, modern lenses: Reinterpretation of tradition through science: Natural care is undergoing a modern relabelling, where precision meets plants. This trend is evident in the 8.7 million searches, showing a 17 per cent growth. From Ayurveda and adaptogens to detox teas and bio hacks, consumers are increasingly turning to traditional systems reinterpreted through a scientific lens. Searches for “Ayurveda,” “homeopathy,” and “acupuncture” are growing, indicating a blend of tradition and modernity in wellness practices.
Kantar MD & chief client officer, South Asia, Insights Division, Soumya Mohanty Kantar, commented: “The health and wellness landscape in India is undergoing a remarkable transformation. Our report highlights the growing importance of personalized and functional wellness solutions. Brands that can effectively address these evolving consumer needs will be well-positioned to lead in this dynamic market. By leveraging these trends and consumer preferences, brands can create targeted and effective marketing strategies to engage with their audience and drive growth.”
MAM
India’s financial sector spent less on TV ads in 2025 but flooded the internet
Banks, insurers and lenders cut tv ads as digital jumps, LIC and Muthoot lead tv and Axis Bank tops online
MUMBAI: India’s banking, financial services and insurance sector, one of the most prolific advertisers in the country, delivered a split verdict on media in 2025. It spent less on television, held its nerve in print, turned up the volume on radio and deluged the internet with a ferocity that left every other medium looking pedestrian. The picture that emerges from TAM AdEx’s cross-media report for the BFSI sector is of an industry in transition, still wedded to the news bulletin but increasingly seduced by the algorithm.
Television: a retreat with caveats
TV ad volumes for the BFSI sector fell 16 per cent in 2025 compared with 2024, a sharp reversal after two years of consistent growth that had pushed volumes 16 per cent above 2021 levels by 2023 and a further 7 per cent higher by 2024. Within 2025 itself, the drop was concentrated in the middle of the year: the second and third quarters saw ad volumes slide 35 per cent each against the first quarter, with a partial recovery of 13 per cent in the fourth.
The retreat did not reshuffle the deck. Life insurance retained first place among TV categories with 19 per cent of ad volumes, mortgage loans held second with 16 per cent, and the top ten categories together accounted for 82 per cent of all BFSI television advertising. The dominance of news channels was equally pronounced: news claimed 68 per cent of ad volumes, general entertainment channels a distant 14 per cent and movies 12 per cent. Together, news and GEC captured 82 per cent of the sector’s television spend. News bulletins alone took 48 per cent of programme-genre volumes, with feature films second at 12 per cent. Prime time, between 6pm and 11pm, drew 34 per cent of ad volumes, followed by afternoon at 22 per cent and morning at 20 per cent. A full 82 per cent of all ads ran between 20 and 40 seconds.
Life Insurance Corporation of India was the sector’s biggest TV spender with 11 per cent of ad volumes. Muthoot Financial Enterprises came second with 9 per cent, followed by National Payments Corporation of India at 6 per cent, Tata AIG General Insurance at 5 per cent and State Bank of India at 5 per cent. The top ten advertisers together accounted for 51 per cent of total TV volumes. Three names were new to the top ten in 2025: Tata AIG General Insurance, IIFL Finance and Tata Capital. At brand level, Muthoot Finance Loan Against Gold led with 9 per cent share, Tata AIG Health Insurance entered the top ten for the first time, and the top ten brands together contributed 35 per cent of ad volumes.
Print: the long climb continues
Print told a different story. Ad space for the BFSI sector has grown every year since 2021, rising 16 per cent in 2022, 30 per cent in 2023, 51 per cent in 2024 and 64 per cent in 2025, all measured against a 2021 baseline. Within 2025, ad space was flat in the second quarter but surged 46 per cent in the third and 33 per cent in the fourth compared with the first. Life insurance led print categories with 21 per cent of ad space, followed by mutual funds and banking services and products at 13 per cent each, and corporate financial institutes at 11 per cent. The top ten categories together took 82 per cent of print ad space. LIC led print advertisers with 6 per cent share, and the top ten together covered just 19 per cent of ad space, a reflection of how fragmented print spending remains. Three new entrants joined the top ten in 2025, with Billion Brains Garage Ventures the only exclusive presence not seen in 2024’s list. In the top ten brands, LIC dominated with a 2 per cent share, while Nippon India Mutual Fund rose to third position from fourth in 2024. English accounted for 62 per cent of print ad space, Hindi for 20 per cent. Business and finance publications took 59 per cent of the genre split. The south zone led regional spending with 33 per cent of print ad space, Bangalore topping that zone, while New Delhi and Mumbai were the leading cities nationally.
Radio: louder than ever
Radio ad volumes for the BFSI sector have climbed steadily, rising 12 per cent above 2021 levels in 2023, 36 per cent in 2024 and 45 per cent in 2025. The quarterly pattern within 2025 was volatile: a sharp drop of 43 per cent in the second quarter and 42 per cent in the third, followed by a near-full recovery in the fourth. Life insurance led radio categories with 22 per cent of volumes, banking services and products second at 14 per cent and corporate NBFCs third at 11 per cent. LIC of India held its position as the leading radio advertiser with 20 per cent of ad volumes; the top ten radio advertisers together covered 69 per cent. Muthoot Financial Enterprises led radio brands with 10 per cent share, five of the top ten brands belonged to LIC alone, and SBI Mutual Fund made a remarkable leap to fifth position from 272nd in 2024. Evening and morning time-bands together captured 84 per cent of radio ad volumes, with evenings at 44 per cent and mornings at 40 per cent. Maharashtra was the leading state for radio BFSI advertising with 18 per cent share; Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh together accounted for 43 per cent.
Digital: the five-times surge
If one number defines the 2025 BFSI advertising story, it is five. Digital ad impressions for the sector multiplied fivefold between 2021 and 2025, having already doubled in 2023 and doubled again in 2024 before the 2025 leap. Within the year, impressions dipped 19 per cent in the second quarter and 12 per cent in the third before recovering 8 per cent above the first quarter by the fourth. Banking services and products led digital categories with 27 per cent of impressions, life insurance and credit cards tied at 19 per cent each, and securities and sharebroking organisations fell from first place in 2024 to fourth in 2025. Axis Bank was the runaway leader among digital advertisers with 12 per cent of impressions, followed by ICICI Bank at 9 per cent, IDFC First Bank at 7 per cent and Kotak Mahindra Bank at 6 per cent. The top ten digital advertisers covered 59 per cent of impressions, and seven of them were new entrants compared with 2024, signalling rapid churn in the digital spending hierarchy. At brand level, Axis Bank led with 9 per cent, ICICI HPCL Super Saver Credit Card vaulted to third place from 921st in 2024, and six of the top ten digital brands were new to the list. Programmatic buying accounted for 91 per cent of all digital BFSI transactions; combined with ad networks, it captured 96 per cent.
The data from TAM AdEx paints the portrait of a sector that still believes in the power of the television news bulletin to sell insurance to the masses, but increasingly knows that the next generation of borrowers, investors and cardholders is scrolling, not watching. The race is now on to reach them before the algorithm serves up someone else’s loan offer first.
