Print ad space rises 3% in Jan-Sep 2025, driven by education and auto sectors: TAM AdEx

New Delhi: India’s print advertising market continued to show resilience in 2025, with ad space rising by 3% per publication in January-September compared to the same period last year, according to fresh data from TAM AdEx. 

The index for the nine-month period moved from 100 in Jan-Sep 2024 to 103 in Jan-Sep 2025, signalling steady revival for print at a time when digital continues to dominate media conversations.

Education retained its long-standing dominance in print, accounting for a 17% share of total ad space, followed closely by Auto (16%) and Services (15%). Banking-Finance-Investment captured 11%, while Retail contributed 8%. 

Personal Accessories (6%), Food & Beverages (4%), Durables (3%), Personal Healthcare (2%) and Telecom Products (2%) rounded off the top 10 sectors in Jan-Sep 2025. Telecom Products was the only new entrant in the list versus last year.

At the category level, Cars strengthened their leadership with a 9% share of all print ad space, holding the top rank from last year. Two-wheelers saw one of the most notable jumps, rising from fourth place in Jan-Sep 2024 to third place this year with a 6% share. The top 10 categories together accounted for 46% of total ad volumes. 

Maruti Suzuki India and Hero Motocorp remained the country’s top two print advertisers, maintaining their positions for the second consecutive year. Reliance Retail, Samsung India Electronics, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter, TVS Motor Company, LIC, Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto and Titan Company completed the top 10 list for Jan-Sep 2025. The print medium continued to attract a wide base of advertisers, with over 116,000 advertisers active during the period, nearly unchanged from 2024.

Maruti Car Range emerged as the leading brand in print advertising for Jan-Sep 2025, improving its position from last year. Over 1.44 lakh brands advertised in print during this period, with the top 10 brands collectively contributing just 6% of total ad space, underlining the highly fragmented nature of the medium.

In terms of growth, Cars registered the highest increase in ad space at 24%, followed by Retail Outlets–Jewellers (18%) and Two Wheelers (12%). The FMCG product range recorded the highest percentage jump among the top-growing categories, doubling its ad space over last year.

Sales-driven communication remained a major theme, with promotions accounting for 31% of total print ad space. Multiple promotion ads led with a 48% share, followed by discount promotions at 40%. Together, the two formats commanded 88% of all sales promotion advertising in print during Jan-Sep 2025.

Overall, the TAM AdEx data suggests that while print may no longer command the scale it once did, it continues to hold its ground as a high-intent, category-driven medium. 

With education and auto brands deepening their reliance on print, and more than 1.4 lakh brands still choosing newspapers for reach and credibility, the sector’s slow but steady growth through 2025 signals that print remains an essential pillar of India’s advertising mix rather than a legacy channel in decline.