BENGALURU: With India’s app economy mushrooming and companies locked in a race for clicks and engagement in an era of attention deficit, the question is no longer just about investing in app marketing, it’s about making every install count. To address this challenge, Indiantelevision.com Group and mFilterIt co-hosted a closed-door roundtable in Bengaluru on September 12, themed “Build Winning App Acquisition & Engagement Strategy Using AI & Analytics.”

“In an ecosystem, where installs alone no longer define success, it is critical to focus on cleaner traffic, sharper strategies, and genuine engagement. That’s why we are delighted to co-host this forum with mFilterIt—a partner whose expertise in AI and analytics has been pivotal in redefining transparency and trust in the digital ecosystem. By co-hosting this forum with mFilterIt, we aim to equip marketers with insights that go beyond the numbers and help shape sustainable, growth-focused approaches for the industry,” noted Indiantelevision.com, chief business officer, Soumitra Sahu.

The invite-only forum brought together senior voices from leading brands to discuss sharper strategies for app marketers. The focus was not only on driving installs but also on ensuring genuine user engagement, maintaining cleaner traffic, and improving key efficiency measures such as cost per install (CPI) and cost per engagement (CPE). 

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The shifting ground of app acquisition

With user acquisition campaigns increasingly driven by affiliates, India’s top brands are beginning to face blind spots in their frameworks. Attribution platforms may be able to measure installs, but optimisation and bot detection often fall outside their scope. This is where independent validators such as mfilterit have entered the picture, deploying AI-powered algorithms and layered checks that uncover wasted ad spend and fraud patterns usually missed by traditional systems. 

A powerhouse panel

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The discussion was moderated by WPP Media, national head – performance marketing, Satheesh Kumar and featured senior leaders including Rohit Utmani of Phonepe’s Indus app store, Manas Prakash of Ajio, Pawandip Singh of Rapido, Akansha Kumari of Pocket FM, Utkarsh Garg of Jar, Satheesh Chinnappan of redbus, Saravanan G of Payrupik, Kirtiman Phadke of Stable Money, Rajat Srivastava of My Growth Club, Durgesh Rathore of mfilterit, and Jagmeet Singh of mfilterit. Together, they brought perspectives from diverse verticals of India’s booming app economy.

Cracking the code

The agenda stressed on some of the toughest questions in app marketing today. Among them was how brands can detect wasted ad spend and improve ROI, what critical metrics validate app ad traffic and highlight potential risks, and how incent walls distort campaign outcomes. A key theme: why marketers must challenge the data they receive from platforms and affiliates instead of taking it at face value. Fraud samples, like unusual CTIT patterns, installs from invalid OS versions, click hijacking, incent traffic, and even fake orders, further demonstrated how affiliate monitoring and real-time validation can uncover non-compliant activities and wasted spend. By highlighting these real-world patterns, the session demonstrated how independent checks bring more rigour, transparency, and efficiency to app marketing campaigns. 

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Why it matters

By the end of the session, participants gained a clearer view of the blind spots in user acquisition and a sharper understanding of how AI and big data can improve campaign outcomes. They also walked away with a roadmap to elevate their strategies with real-time insights, helping ensure that every install delivers value rather than vanity. For Indiantelevision.com group, co-hosting the event reinforces its role as a knowledge partner to the industry. Together with mfilterit, it aims to provide marketers with a forward-looking agenda at a time when the quality of engagement, rather than sheer quantity, defines sustainable growth.

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