MAM
Meet Anuradha and Kanika, empowering Indian apparel manufacturers with research and fashion forecasting
In the current era of fast fashion and intense competition, fashion manufacturing has become increasingly complex, underscoring the critical importance of staying attuned to consumer preferences. Relying solely on trial and error is no longer adequate, as it often results in unsold inventory relegated to sale sections or worse, disposed of as waste. Such outcomes can lead to significant losses, particularly in an industry where production costs are frequently high. Even more so, given the rapid shifts in consumer interests within the fashion landscape, it is essential to remain abreast of future trends to strategically plan collections. India has a unique dominance and expression in fashion that ranges from traditional ethnic dressing to its very own coined ‘fusion wear’, together referred to as Indian wear. Two friends and deeply experienced professional, Anuradha Chandrashekar and Kanika Vohra are working towards changing the whole ecosystem as they have founded India’s first Indian wear fashion forecast, ICH NEXT.
Anuradha Chandrashekar explains why fashion forecasting is a necessity in today’s time for the fashion industry, “Adopting a fashion forecast prior to new collection development is a global best practice for decades. Before starting we studied innumerable case studies that went on to show that on-trend designs that are fresh and relevant to consumer affinities were often lacking. Prior research, if conducted, often focused solely on macro influences within the fashion world, lacking nuanced interpretation and relying heavily on a ‘more of the same’ approach. True insight into trends necessitates thorough exploration of diverse factors such as consumer behavior, celebrity influence, runway trends, social media, travel, experiential changes, and even political ideologies shaping consumer preferences. This is what ICH NEXT focuses on – a comprehensive research that is the backbone to the science behind predictive trend reports, to aid and abet manufacturers in their creation process. These trend reports are provided to manufacturers at least 6-9 months prior to the clothing range hitting retail shelves, enabling them to tailor their collections accordingly. Manufacturers leveraging such forecasts have witnessed up to a sevenfold increase in revenue.”
To make the manufacturers aware of the many benefits of fashion forecasting ICH NEXT launched their series of pan India Masterclasses for fashion manufacturers. “Through these Masterclasses we intend to share our learnings and insights with the manufacturers of fashion apparel and make them understand the importance of research and relying on a fashion forecast, whichever that might be. When they base their product development process on research, their collection will hit the mark, minimizing wasteful manufacturing and discounts that eat up the manufacturer’s profits. Helping them stay a step ahead and tap the pulse of the consumers beforehand, ICH NEXT helps manufacturers to alleviate lost opportunities. In this stead, the first leg of the Masterclass was held at Jaipur this month where Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) and the Garment Exporters Association of Rajasthan (GEAR) participated wholeheartedly along with 50 manufacturers. While this was the first step, we will be reaching out to more manufacturers across the country with such knowledge share sessions,” said Kanika Vohra.
Kanika further spoke about the impact of deep research by ICH on future trends and the future of the company, “A lot of the success that ICH has met with, has been basis the research and having a keen eye in understanding consumer preferences and dialogues. In building a base for business success, businesses rely on prudent practices and leveraging strength. We believe research can be a firm pillar and we can be the company that provides that foundation. We see it as a ‘collaborative effort’ with ICH NEXT enabling deep insights, predicting future trends that carry a high degree of consumer affinity; and manufacturers focusing their creative energies in interpretation, expansion and quality improvements. Over the next five years, we want to hone our work and make our research deeper and more customizable across segments encouraging relevant design thought and fresh thinking. We are investing in tech / AI to help empower this across segments of fashion and lifestyle.”
Anuradha goes on to explain how their “Maya theme” that they predicted last year for this season of SS24 is all over the fashion industry. As per them, in summer 2024, Citrus Lime and Menthol Blue are expected to rule the apparel racks. In India, consumers seek out colors that exude optimism, harmony, tradition, and innovation. Colors like herbal pink and tea, salt-lake peach, and mint marble blue with grey are set to join the color palette, dyed in ethereally light fabrics, stiff shears and metallic shimmers.
The essence of Summer 2024 encapsulates themes of romance and surrender, blending elements from the past, present, and future while surrendering to the fragility of the present moment. Brands seize upon these trends by offering the right choices at the opportune time. However, achieving this feat necessitates a foundation of thorough research and forecasting to inform the creation of new lines.
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.
