Instagram leads digital ad impressions with 64% share in Jan-Sep 2025: TAM AdEx

New Delhi: On publisher distribution, Instagram led web publishers in Jan-Sep '25 with a 64% share of ad impressions, while other publishers together accounted for 36%. 

Facebook.com followed with a 14% share, YouTube.com had an 8% share, and X.com had a 5% share. 

Amarujala.com, Cricbuzz.com, Indianexpress.com, Moneycontrol.com, Abplive.com, News18.com and Lokmat.com recorded 0.2% share each. 

TAM AdEx stated that the top five web publishers collectively held more than a 90% share of ad impressions in Jan-Sep '25.

Platform mix data showed Display led digital platforms with 90% share of ad impressions, while Video accounted for 10%. In transaction methods, Programmatic was the most used route with 96% share of ad impressions, followed by Ad Network at 2%. Direct, Programmatic and Ad Network, and Others had a 1% share each.

Overall, digital ad impressions grew 149% in Jan-Sep’25 versus Jan-Sep’24, with the index rising to 249 from a base of 100 in the year-ago period, according to the TAM Media Research report.

Services remained the largest sector on digital with a 44% share of ad impressions in Jan-Sep’25. Education followed with 7%, while Computers, Personal Accessories and Retail had a 6% share each. Banking, finance and investment stood at 5%, and Personal care and personal hygiene and Auto had 4% each. Food and Beverages and Durables had a 2% share each, while Others accounted for 14%.

At the category level, Ecom-Online Shopping topped the list with 12% share of ad impressions in Jan-Sep’25. It was followed by Ecom-Other Services at 7% and Ecom-Clothing, Textile and Fashion at 6%. Ecom-Education, Software and Ecom-Media, and Entertainment and Social Media had 3% share each, while Cars, Retail outlets for clothing, textiles and fashion, and Readymade Garments had 2% share each. Ecom-Food and Grocery stood at 1%. TAM AdEx said the top 10 categories together accounted for 42% share, while the remaining categories made up 58%.

Among advertisers, Amazon Online India led digital ad impressions in Jan-Sep’25, followed by Flipkart.com, Hindustan Unilever, Adobe Software India and Reliance Retail. Fabindia, Razorpay Software, Maruti Suzuki India, Myntra Designs and Nexxbase Marketing also featured in the top 10. TAM AdEx said the top 10 advertisers contributed 16% of total digital ad impressions during the period.

The report also said there were 149,000-plus exclusive advertisers on digital who were not present on TV during Jan-Sep’25. Adobe Software India topped the list of exclusive digital advertisers over TV, followed by Grammarly Inc, Blink Commerce, Hostinger Intl, Interviewbit Software Services LP, Goenka Kachave LLP, Mad About Sports, GoDaddy Operating Company, Soundrise Hearing Solutions and Iraedu Tech.

On growth, TAM AdEx said 400-plus categories registered positive growth in Jan-Sep’25 over Jan-Sep’24. In the top growing categories list, based on the highest increase in ad impressions, Ecom-Online Shopping grew 96%. AV Auxiliaries recorded the highest growth among the top 10 at 12 times, followed by Retail outlets for clothing, textiles and fashion at 9 times.