Havas’ Uday Mohan decodes 5 switches shaping India’s advertising ecosystem in 2026

New Delhi: As India’s advertising ecosystem looks ahead to 2026, the direction of travel is clear: growth will continue, but with greater discipline, sharper choices, and clearer intent. 

According to Uday Mohan, COO, Havas Media India & Havas Play, brands are rethinking not just where they spend, but how different investments work together in an increasingly fragmented media environment.

1. From aggressive experimentation to disciplined growth

The first and most defining switch is around mindset. After a year marked by aggressive testing and rapid experimentation, 2026 is expected to be more measured. “Looking ahead to 2026, we expect advertising spends to grow steadily, though with more discipline than in 2025,” Mohan underscored.

This signals a move away from volume-led experimentation towards sharper prioritisation. Brands are expected to scrutinise ROI more closely, trim inefficiencies, and back channels and formats that demonstrate clear value, rather than chasing every new platform or trend.

2. From siloed budgets to hybrid brand-and-performance investments

Another major shift lies in how marketers structure their investments across the funnel. 
“Brands are moving towards a hybrid investment approach, where performance and brand-building work in tandem rather than in isolation,” he said.

Rather than treating brand-building and performance marketing as separate budget lines competing for attention, brands are increasingly designing media plans where the two reinforce each other. In practice, this means storytelling is expected to work harder, supporting both long-term equity and near-term outcomes, while performance-led channels are being evaluated not just on conversions, but on their contribution to overall brand impact. FMCG majors such as Hindustan Unilever and ITC are increasingly pairing high-decibel brand films with retail media and quick commerce integrations on platforms like Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart, ensuring that top-of-funnel storytelling is immediately backed by availability, visibility, and conversion triggers. Similarly, beauty and personal care brands are blending influencer-led launches with shoppable video and marketplace media on Amazon and Nykaa.

3. From digital dominance to a clearer media hierarchy

While digital continues to draw more investment, Mohan stressed that traditional media is far from sidelined. “Digital will continue to gain share, particularly video, commerce-led formats, and creator ecosystems, while TV remains a strong driver of reach and credibility.”

Short-form video on Instagram and YouTube, live commerce experiments, and creator collaborations are increasingly becoming always-on investments, especially for D2C, consumer tech, and fintech brands. The result is a more balanced media strategy for 2026. Digital drives engagement and action through video, commerce-linked formats, and creator ecosystems, while television anchors scale, credibility, and mass reach for major consumer-facing categories. Instead of a binary shift from traditional to digital, brands are giving each medium a clearer, more defined role in the marketing mix.

4. From traditional media buys to culture-led investments

Beyond mainstream media channels, brands are also widening the scope of where they invest. 
“Beyond traditional media, spends on content, sports, and entertainment partnerships are also poised to rise,” Mohan underlined.

In practice, this is visible in IPL sponsorships and team partnerships that go beyond logos, extending to second-screen activations, creator-led content, and shoppable campaigns. OTT originals, gaming platforms, and immersive experiential events are also becoming key touchpoints, allowing brands to connect with audiences in spaces they are genuinely passionate about rather than interrupting them with traditional ads.

5. From one-size-fits-all to smarter offline media

Traditional media isn’t disappearing, but its role is becoming more precise and context-driven.
“OOH is seeing renewed relevance through data-led and contextual innovations, with print and radio playing more targeted, regional roles,” said Mohan. 

This shift reflects how brands are rethinking offline media through a sharper lens. Rather than blanket national presence, out-of-home is increasingly being planned around location, moment, and audience context, while print and radio are being used selectively to drive regional depth and vernacular relevance. The emphasis is on using each medium where it performs best, rather than treating traditional channels as one-size-fits-all reach vehicles.

What this means for 2026

Taken together, these switches point to an advertising market that is evolving, not slowing. Steady growth, hybrid investment thinking, a balanced media mix, and deeper cultural integration are shaping how brands approach 2026. However, Mohan also flagged a key underlying challenge.

“The key challenge will be managing fragmentation and measurement while staying agile and consumer-focused,” he said. 

As platforms multiply and consumer journeys become increasingly nonlinear, success in 2026 will hinge on brands’ ability to stay focused, flexible, and grounded in consumer understanding, ensuring that discipline does not come at the cost of impact.