Truecaller eyes spot as India’s next big ad platform after Google and Meta

New Delhi: In a digital media ecosystem long dominated by Google and Meta, Truecaller is positioning itself as a credible third force for Indian marketers, powered by massive scale, unique touchpoints, and a utility-first product philosophy that prioritises context over vanity metrics.

In a conversation with BestMediaInfo.com, Truecaller’s leadership outlined its differentiated value proposition for advertisers looking to go beyond traditional search and social channels. 

With 6 billion daily impressions and 55 billion calls handled daily, the company claims it offers incremental, high-quality reach, not as a replacement, but as an essential layer in modern media plans.

“Google is built for search; Meta is for social. Truecaller is built on the function of communication—efficient, safe, and utility-led,” said Hemant Arora, VP, Global Ad Sales Business. “If a brand wants discovery, go to Google. If you want social proof, go to Meta. But if you want to own the moment of communication, this is the place.”

When asked whether Truecaller can claim the third slot after the tech giants, Arora was direct: “Look at India—Google, Meta, and then probably us. On what basis? Reach and scale. We have over 300 million users in India and are growing. If reach is your objective, you should consider Truecaller after Google and Meta—or blend it into your full media mix.”

While Amazon has made strong inroads into advertising, Truecaller believes it owns a unique proposition—“the moment of communication”—with uncluttered, high-attention ad formats.

“Every marketer wants more bang for their buck,” Arora said. “We’re just making it easier to get it, without compromising user trust. It's not the advertiser’s headache to figure us out. It's our job to make buying seamless and valuable.”

Truecaller introduces Masthead ads

Truecaller’s ambition is underscored by the launch of its Masthead ad format—a high-visibility property that appears on the caller ID screen the moment a user receives a call. Built for instant recall, scale, and simplicity, the format positions Truecaller as a top contender for top-of-the-funnel visibility.

“We already had scale, infrastructure, and a large advertiser base,” Arora said. “The next step was making it easier for clients to buy us—by defining real estate that’s simple, objective-driven, and instantly impactful.”

The masthead leverages what Truecaller calls a “moment of pure focus”—the instant when a user decides whether to take or reject a call. At that point, the screen becomes a full-screen, clutter-free canvas for brand messaging.

“It’s the digital equivalent of a newspaper front page or a YouTube masthead,” Arora explained. “An immediate communication point that commands attention.”

Explaining the core advantage of the masthead, Vanita Rathore, Senior Director, Global Ad Sales, said, “The mobile screen is the first screen in everyone’s hand. When you get a call, especially from an unknown number, your attention spikes. That’s the moment we’re giving brands the chance to own.”

“In that 3–4 seconds of decision-making, your brand gets full-screen visibility. There are no distractions. It’s you and the user.”

Rathore added that brands purchasing the masthead receive 100% share of voice during their chosen time slot—be it a day, a week, or a month. “No other brand will appear in that time. That’s exclusive, focused reach,” she said.

“Think about your phone habits—if you get around 10 calls a day, at least 4–5 are from unknown numbers. That’s where Truecaller steps in, creating repeated brand exposures during real moments of user intent.”

According to Arora, brands can expect an average of 5–6 exposures per user per day, translating into 1.1 billion daily impressions and 150 million+ daily reach.

Not just a format—A full shelf of brand solutions

The masthead isn’t a standalone play—it’s part of Truecaller’s broader strategy to create “productised solutions” that mirror a retail shelf.

“We’re creating an ecosystem where advertisers can walk in and find ready-made solutions. You don’t need to stitch together parts,” Arora said.

These offerings are sold direct-to-brand, not programmatically, and tested across channels to ensure incremental reach when paired with other masthead-like properties in print or digital.

“We’re not only top-funnel. Our tech also allows us to operate mid- and lower-funnel. But our current focus is refining the top—making it sharper, clearer, and goal-oriented,” Arora explained.

To that end, Truecaller is rolling out AI-powered recommendation engines and audience cohorts built on behavioural signals, like travel intent, while remaining compliant with privacy norms.

“We’re not into hyper-targeting. Our ethos is built on trust and efficiency. We won’t compromise that to force results,” Arora said. “No spam, no shortcuts.”

Rethinking measurement 

Advertising on a screen designed for functional use requires a new measurement approach, and Truecaller acknowledges this head-on.

Some advertisers still take measurement numbers on Truecaller with a pinch of salt. For example, a person might see the ad and immediately focus on the caller, not the brand.”

Still, the team argues that even passive brand visibility at that moment has high recall. To quantify this, Truecaller is working with third-party partners to develop new, context-specific metrics.

“We’re asking ourselves the tough questions: What does stickiness mean on a caller ID screen? How should attention be valued when it's undivided—but brief?”

Shifting brand perceptions: "How do I buy you?"

Despite its scale, Truecaller admits it has work to do in demystifying its offerings for advertisers.

“The biggest misconception? That we’re too complex to buy,” Arora said. “It’s like walking into a store to buy a shirt and being handed thread, buttons, and fabric.”

“Now, we’ve simplified that. You walk in and see the full shirt—ready for your dinner, your meeting, or your weekend.”

Truecaller has moved from fragmented inventory to customised, plug-and-play formats designed around brand objectives.

Designed for relevance, built on trust

Arora and his team repeatedly stressed that user experience is sacrosanct.

“Our golden rule is simple—never interrupt the core phone experience. That’s why mastheads are static. No clicks. No interference. Just high-quality presence,” he said.

The platform is also experimenting with sharper copy-driven creatives, improved visual hierarchy, and creative libraries to help brands make the most of the first 2 seconds—the make-or-break moment in today’s attention economy.

“Inventory is no longer just a data point—it’s a contextual opportunity,” the team said. “What works on a feed doesn’t work here. We’re helping brands adapt—without forcing engagement.”

India’s next big shelf

As India’s digital ad market matures, Truecaller is steadily carving out its own lane—not by mimicking the big players, but by embracing its core strength: owning the start of every conversation.

“In a world of skippable ads and split-second attention spans, we offer brands a chance to be seen, absorbed, and remembered,” Arora said. “We’re not here to disrupt—we’re here to simplify and deliver.”

For CMOs looking to rebalance media plans beyond the triopoly, Truecaller may well be the next essential shelf, stocked with trust, timing, and technology.