Archive · 5 Nov 2025
Indian TV Ad Volumes Decline 10% in 2025, FMCG Dominates
Imagine TV ads are like commercials you see for toys and snacks.
In India, between January and September 2025, fewer of these commercials were shown on TV, about 10% less than before.
But, companies that sell everyday things like food, drinks, and soap still put a lot of money into TV ads.
They made up almost 90% of everything shown on TV.
Big companies like HUL and Reckitt Benckiser had many ads.
Interestingly, ads for cleaning toilets and floors grew the most.
Even online shopping companies are using TV ads to reach lots of people.
Toilet soaps were still the most advertised product, like they usually are.
This shows that even though TV ads are a bit slower, they are still important for reaching everyone.
India's TV ad volumes dropped 10% year-on-year from January to September 2025.
FMCG categories, especially Food and Beverages, dominated TV advertising.
Toilet and floor cleaners saw the highest growth in ad volumes (18%), while e-commerce platforms grew their TV ad presence by 25%.
Toilet soaps remained the most advertised category with a 6% share.
General entertainment and news channels attracted the majority of TV ad spending (57%).
- Who
- Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) and Reckitt Benckiser India, alongside FMCG and e-commerce brands.
- What
- India's television advertising market experienced a 10% year-on-year decline in ad volumes between January and September 2025. Despite this, toilet soaps remained the most advertised category, while toilet and floor cleaners and e-commerce platforms saw significant growth in ad volumes.
- When
- January to September 2025
- Where
- India
- Why
- The slump in ad volumes is occurring even as consumer goods giants and e-commerce brands continue to advertise heavily, indicating a potential slowdown in the TV ad market's growth trajectory despite its continued reach for mass visibility.
- Ad Volume Change (Jan-Sep 2025)
- -10% year-on-year
- Top Advertising Sector
- Food and Beverages (21% of ad volumes)
- Leading Advertisers
- Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) and Reckitt Benckiser India
- Fastest Growing Category (Product Type)
- Toilet and Floor Cleaners (+18%)
- Fastest Growing Category (Platform)
- E-commerce platforms (+25%)
- Most Advertised Category
- Toilet soaps (6% share of ad volumes)
- Channels with Most Ads
- General Entertainment Channels (GECs) and News networks (57% combined)
- Total Advertisers
- Over 6,100
- Total Brands
- Nearly 10,000