Long-form digital video growing at 25%, to hit double-digit share in 3 years: Hema Malik

New Delhi: Magna predicts above-average ad spend resilience in 2025, neutralising the impact of ad spikes from cyclical events in 2024 led by the National Elections and T20 World Cup,” according to Hema Malik, Chief Investment Officer at IPG Mediabrands India.

India’s advertising market is projected to grow by 7.8% year-on-year in 2025, with total ad revenue expected to rise by Rs 99 billion, taking the overall adex from Rs 1,272 billion ($14.7 billion) in 2024 to Rs 1,371 billion ($15.9 billion) in 2025, according to IPG Mediabrands’ latest MAGNA report. 

As per the report, while the first half of 2025 is expected to grow at 6%, H2 growth is pegged at 9%, though trade uncertainties may influence outcomes later in the year.

Malik said that the market will see dynamic ad spend across categories such as finance, media, pharma, technology, gaming, and retail, even as sectors like automotive and electronics may lag.

She identified video, social, and retail as the key growth engines of the advertising market in the coming year. “The trio of Video, Social, and Retail will once again lead the adex growth,” Malik noted, adding that changes in media consumption are also reshaping advertising strategies.

Social media advertising, in particular, is fast emerging as the largest format and is projected to surpass television over the next five years, stated the Magna report. 

In particular, the migration of live sports from linear TV to streaming platforms is driving a significant shift in where and how advertisers invest. “Live sports, which were the only linear TV mainstays, have been upended with more people streaming sports content,” Malik observed.

She added that the rise of ad-supported streaming platforms is unlocking new inventory and fueling growth in both access and consumption. “Nearly all streaming TV platforms now offer more affordable ad-supported plans, leading to rapid growth in advertising sales,” she said.

Among the fastest-growing segments is long-form digital video, currently accounting for 6% of total video adex. Malik highlighted that “long-form video is growing at a blistering pace of over 25% and is estimated to gain double-digit share in the next three years.”