Transit and DOOH drive India’s OOH festive boom with spends rising over 15%

New Delhi: After a muted start to the year, India’s out-of-home (OOH) industry is set for its strongest festive quarter in recent memory, with ad spends expected to climb more than 15% over last season.

While estimates vary on the exact scale of festive growth, industry leaders are unanimous that OOH will deliver one of its strongest seasons in years. Some expect a steady double-digit rise, while others foresee sharper spikes as brands front-load campaigns and categories expand their use of the medium.

Jayesh Yagnik, CEO of MOMS Outdoor, noted that the festive curve itself has shifted earlier. “This year, festive OOH AdEx is expected to rise by 15% or more, with brands starting campaigns in August around Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam and Durga Pujo rather than waiting for October–December. This early start is pushing budgets up.”

Sunil Kumaran, CEO of BIG FM, placed the projection at 10–12% year-on-year. “Momentum is driven by confident consumer sentiment, new product launches, stronger adoption of DOOH, and a synchronised festive calendar. Given OOH grew 10% in 2024 to Rs 5,920 crore, the festive quarter will significantly boost 2025’s growth story.”

Mandeep Malhotra, Founder and CEO of Srishti Media, expects brands to ramp up spend by about 20–30% during the festive season, particularly across categories like e-commerce, FMCG, automotive, fashion and electronics, driven by heightened consumer activity and strategic placements in malls, markets and transit hubs,” he said.

He added, “Festive season has become the testing ground for innovation, agility and performance marketing.”

While e-commerce, FMCG, automotive, jewellery, fashion and real estate remain the biggest festive advertisers, new categories are joining the OOH bandwagon. Malhotra pointed to finance (festive loans), healthcare, nutraceuticals and consumer services as emerging contributors.

Yagnik added, “Jewellery, consumer durables, automobiles and real estate will lead spends, supported by FMCG and organised retail. Quick commerce is also expected to push high-frequency messaging during festival windows. We also see organised retail experimenting more aggressively with premium formats.”

All experts agreed that transit hubs are at the heart of this growth. Kumaran noted that the share of transit media in the OOH mix has risen from 25% to 35% and will climb further by 2026.

He said, “Delhi Metro alone carries over 7 million daily commuters, offering unmatched visibility and dwell time. Expanding metro and railway networks are opening new inventory, especially in Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns.”

Festive travel adds to this momentum, with airports, expressways and railway stations drawing premium ad spends. Yagnik confirmed, “Brands are showing higher affinity for airports, metro stations, premium retail hubs and highways, which combine scale with measurable footfalls. Transit media is now among the fastest-growing sub-segments of OOH.”

Anuj Bhandari, founder of TRIOOH, stressed exclusivity as another lever. “Airports, iconic landmarks and high-traffic LED networks are becoming prime inventory, with time and day-part targeting ensuring exclusivity during peak hours.”

The biggest structural shift, however, is digital OOH. Malhotra said DOOH surged 78% in 2024, now forming 12% of the market and on track to hit 17% by 2027. Formats using anamorphic 3D, CGI, AR and interactive content are gaining traction at metros and airports, while programmatic buying and mobile retargeting are reshaping campaign performance.

Bhandari pointed out that while agencies have received only 70–75% of the usual festive briefs at this point, this reflects a strategic shift rather than a slowdown. “Brands are moving away from long-drawn campaigns to shorter, high-intensity bursts that deliver measurable impact. The growing adoption of programmatic DOOH reflects this pivot, giving advertisers flexibility, precision targeting and data-led insights. With innovations like mobile retargeting, bridging offline and online, DOOH is evolving into a performance-driven medium that meets the agility modern marketing demands.”

Kumaran put India’s DOOH share at under 15% compared to around 35% in mature markets, but said it is growing 20–25% year-on-year. “In Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, DOOH already accounts for 20–30% of mall and transit inventory. Formats like LED screens, video walls and programmatic displays have integrated particularly well with metro, railway and airport advertising.”

Yagnik added that DOOH is complementary, not cannibalistic. “Digital screens enhance OOH’s value by enabling real-time messaging, multiple brand placements and dynamic creatives, while static formats continue to dominate highways and regional markets.”

Beyond numbers, this year’s festive OOH is becoming a creative playground. Yagnik listed trends including anamorphic 3D installations, experiential set-pieces, hyperlocal activations, contextual real-time DOOH and commerce-linked formats such as scan-to-buy. Sustainability and tactile innovations like biodegradable materials and low-energy LEDs are also making an entry.

Regional storytelling is another critical lever. “Brands are tailoring creatives to local festivals, retail habits and cultural cues, especially in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. DOOH allows real-time localisation while keeping a unified brand message,”* said Kumaran.

Yagnik added that hyper-local activations and cluster innovations will play a key role this season, driving virality and social sharing.

Despite a sluggish first half, India’s OOH market is poised to cross Rs 4,547 crore in 2025, with festive adex climbing at least 15%. Transit hubs and DOOH formats are leading the surge, while categories from jewellery to quick commerce are fuelling demand. With brands embracing innovation, hyperlocal storytelling and performance-led OOH, this festive season is set to be one of the most impactful for the medium in years.