Auto retains top spot as print ad volumes edge up 2% in 2025

New Delhi: Print advertising volumes recorded steady growth in 2025, with ad space per publication rising 21% compared to 2021 levels, according to a report by TAM AdEx, a division of TAM Media Research. On a year-on-year basis, 2025 registered a 2% increase over 2024, indicating a phase of consolidation following earlier gains.

Quarterly data showed that Q3 and Q4 of 2025 delivered 13% higher ad space per publication than Q1 of the same year.

The Auto sector retained the top position in print advertising in 2025, accounting for 16% of total ad space, followed by Services at 15% and Education at 14%.

Banking-Finance-Investment held an 11% share, while Retail accounted for 8%. The top 10 sectors together contributed 85% of total ad space during the year.

At the category level, Cars led with a 9% share of ad space, followed by Properties-Real Estates at 6%. Among the top 10 categories, three belonged to the Education sector, while two each came from Auto, Services and Retail. Collectively, the top 10 categories accounted for 45% of total print ad space.

In terms of growth, Cars recorded a 26% increase in ad volumes in 2025 compared to 2024. Branded Jewellery followed with 60% growth, while the FMCG Products Range category registered the highest percentage growth among the top 10 at 3.1 times. More than 320 categories reported positive growth during the year.

The report noted that over 72,000 advertisers and more than 95,000 brands advertised exclusively in print during 2025. In total, more than 179,000 brands were present in the print medium. The top 10 advertisers contributed 13% of total ad space.

Maruti Suzuki India retained its position as the leading advertiser in print in 2025. Other advertisers in the top 10 included Hero Motocorp, Reliance Retail, Tata Motors, TVS Motor Company, Samsung India Electronics, LIC of India, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, Titan Company and Bajaj Auto, which entered the top 10 ranking from 29th position in 2024.

At the brand level, the Maruti Car Range secured the top position, followed by Smart Bazaar and Allen Career Institute. Five of the top 10 brands were from the Auto sector, and five new brands entered the top 10 list in 2025. The top 10 brands together accounted for 5% of total print ad space.

Among exclusive advertisers in 2025 those present in 2025 but not in 2024 West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation ranked first. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra was the leading exclusive brand.

In terms of ad formats, Jacket-Full Page emerged as the most preferred ad position during 2025. More than 8,800 brands used the Jacket-Full Page format across newspapers and magazines, with Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra identified as the leading brand in this position. Other prominent ad positions included Full Page, Half Page-Horizontal, Solus and Half Page-Vertical.

Innovative ad layouts accounted for a small share of overall print advertising. Masthead integration led among innovative formats, followed by Augmented Reality Integration. The top five innovative layouts together contributed 0.6% of ad space.

Sales promotion advertising represented 33% of total print ad space in 2025. Within this segment, Multiple Promotion formats accounted for 51% of sales promotion ad space, followed by Discount Promotion at 38%. The top two promotional formats together comprised 88% of sales promotion advertising.

Festival-linked advertising continued to play a significant role. Deepavali accounted for 41% of festive-themed ad space in 2025, followed by Navratri-Durga Puja at 17% and Christmas-New Year at 10%. Independence Day and Republic Day followed with smaller shares.