WPP Media TYNY sees 2026 ad revenue crossing Rs 2 lakh crore; commerce, AI in focus

Mumbai: WPP Media has projected India’s advertising market to grow 9.7 per cent in 2026, with total ad revenue estimated at Rs 2,01,891 crore, up Rs 17,844 crore over 2025, as digital-led formats deepen their hold on brand budgets.

Launching its latest This Year Next Year (TYNY) forecast for India on Wednesday, the group said digital will contribute 68.1 per cent of total ad revenue next year, including the digital extensions of TV, audio, print and outdoor.

Commerce-led advertising was flagged as the fastest-growing channel at 24.2 per cent, driven by the convergence of retail media, quick commerce and social commerce.

WPP Media said India remains among the world’s top 10 advertising markets, with advertising pegged at 0.5 per cent of the country’s GDP.

The report said this share is expected to rise as per capita GDP grows and advertising formalises further through digital platforms.

Prasanth Kumar, CEO, South Asia, WPP Media, said India is at a “pivotal crossroads” where AI, commerce and privacy are converging to reshape how brands connect with consumers.

He said with digital close to 68 per cent of ad spends, the ecosystem is increasingly driven by outcomes rather than impressions, and brands that win will be those that can generate demand across the consumer journey.

Ashwin Padmanabhan, COO, South Asia, WPP Media, said 2026 will be defined by “outcome and intelligence”, adding that AI-powered engagement is accelerating outcome-led formats.

He said quick commerce is moving from being only a sales channel to becoming an important media choice, and brands will need to capture consumers at the intersection of discovery and transaction.

The forecast broke down growth by channel clusters. Other digital channels excluding search and commerce are expected to grow 11.1 per cent.

Location-based media such as outdoor and cinema are projected to grow 8.9 per cent. Intelligence-driven formats, including search, voice and “agentic discovery”, are projected to grow 8.0 per cent.

Print is expected to grow 4.4 per cent, which the report linked to a DAVP price increase and category relevance.

Television is projected to grow 3.1 per cent, supported by connected TV and addressable advertising.

Audio is projected to grow 1.5 per cent, driven by streaming platforms.

Parveen Sheik, Head of Business Intelligence India, WPP Media, said India’s ad market is showing both dynamism and maturity, and that 2026 is a story of convergence where media, technology and commerce are becoming “homogenous” to deliver outcomes for brands.

She said brands that embrace AI, data intelligence, privacy-first strategies and agile planning will capture a disproportionate share of growth.

Alongside the topline forecast, WPP Media leaders used the TYNY release to spell out how they see the next phase of media planning playing out.

Vishal Jacob, President, Choreograph South Asia, WPP Media, said the industry is entering an era where AI “doesn’t just assist, it orchestrates”, pointing to agentic ecosystems that can scale marketing with minimal human intervention.

He also flagged privacy as central to the next phase, saying privacy compliance is no longer a checkbox but the foundation of consumer trust.

Sairam Ranganathan, Head of Commerce India, WPP Media, said the shift needed is from fragmented broadcasting to “seamless omnichannel orchestration”, arguing that in a non-linear consumer journey, every impression is now a potential shopping experience.

He linked this to the report’s 24.2 per cent commerce growth projection, and said quick commerce is reshaping consumer expectations, pushing brands to define the channel’s role across insights, service differentiation and demand generation.

Vinit Karnik, Managing Director, Content, Entertainment and Sports South Asia, WPP Media, said the marketing landscape has moved from passive reach to “long-term cultural ownership”, with live events becoming engines for first-party data and cultural IP, and influencer strategies requiring hyper-local credibility over mega reach.

He added that as agentic content systems scale narratives, marketers will need to act as “strategic governors”, setting the cultural direction while AI handles execution.

Murali Thyagarajan, Senior Vice President, Media Delivery and Operations India, WPP Media, echoed the view that fragmented broadcasting is becoming obsolete, arguing that brands now need synchronised engagement that meets consumers in the right context, at the right moment, with the right message.

He said touchpoints, from micro-dramas to live events, need to be orchestrated with precision to convert consideration into action.

Upali Nag Kumar, President, Strategy, WPP Media South Asia, said marketing strategy is shifting from fragmented campaigns to intelligent orchestration.

She said WPP Media’s focus is on building interconnected brand ecosystems where AI agents and omnichannel touchpoints operate within a framework of human insight and strategic foresight, while brands move beyond transactional reach to build durable trust and own their narrative.

On categories, WPP Media said SMEs, tech and telecom, realty, auto and education are likely to be key growth drivers in 2026. The report also pointed to a potential rural recovery as another contributor, if the trend sustains.

It said Gen Z and Gen Alpha have become a sizeable, digitally native consumption base shaping brand strategies, with preferences tilted towards personalisation, immediacy and purpose-led engagement.