Ad Spend to Grow 9.7% in 2026, Cross Rs 2 Lakh Cr

Mumbai, Feb 18 (PTI) Growth in advertising spends is estimated to accelerate to 9.7 per cent in 2026, as against the 9.2 per cent in the previous year, a report said on Wednesday.

The report by WPP, one of the largest media agencies in the world, estimated overall advertising spends to top Rs 2.01 lakh crore in 2026, from Rs 1.84 lakh crore in the year-ago period.

Growth in spends in India will be higher than the 7.1 per cent estimated at the global level, it said, adding that India, the fourth largest economy in the world, is ninth-biggest market in terms of ad spends.


Share of digital media platforms in the overall ad spends in India is estimated to be 68.1 per cent in 2026, which is lower than the 83.7 per cent worldwide, it said.

"With digital commanding nearly 68 per cent of advertising expenditure, it has become an epicentre of connections, fuelling an ecosystem that is driven by outcomes rather than mere impressions," WPP Media's chief executive for South Asia, Prasanth Kumar, said.

Artificial intelligence-powered consumer engagement is accelerating outcome-driven formats, and quick-commerce is at a point of inflection, moving from a sales channel to an important media choice, its chief operating officer for South Asia, Ashwin Padmanabhan, said.