India's advertising momentum remains strong despite category disruptions: Priti Murthy

At the unveiling of This Year Next Year (TYNY), Priti Murthy, President – Client Solutions, South Asia, WPP Media, explained why India’s advertising trajectory continues to remain resilient despite disruptions across categories, why the real competition lies in breaking siloed mindsets, and why content and commerce — not channels — will shape the next wave of expansion.

In an exclusive conversation with Pitch, Murthy characterises the current landscape as a “happy economy” fuelled by strong business confidence, government-driven expenditure and B2B brands moving into B2C. She underlined that the true transformation is structural — moving beyond the outdated traditional-versus-digital divide — toward integrated, content- and commerce-centric ecosystems where brand-building and performance function in tandem.

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What are your key takeaways from this year’s TYNY report?

For me, the most significant insight is that we are operating in a happy economy. It is a market that is spending and is approaching double-digit growth. If gaming as a category had not paused, we would have comfortably exceeded double-digit expansion.

There is optimism across industries. Public investments are unlocking expenditure in several sectors. I’m seeing B2B clients approach us saying, “Help us transition into B2C,” or “Help us broaden our footprint.” That movement itself reflects confidence.

Another major insight is the convergence of commerce, retail, modern trade and content. The old definitions no longer apply. We need to stop labelling it traditional and digital. That distinction has faded. What matters today is whether communication is rooted in content and enabled by commerce. Consumers are not thinking in terms of platforms — they are engaging with content fluidly across them.

According to the report, India’s advertising expenditure rose 9.2% in 2025 and is expected to grow 9.7% this year. What factors are driving this relatively moderate pace of expansion?

I do not view the 9.7% projection as moderate at all. Considering that gaming (real money gaming brands) exited advertising due to regulatory developments, this remains robust growth. Had gaming continued, we would have crossed 10% or more this year.

Certain categories are yet to witness full acceleration — pharma, for example. It is more about regulatory structures than lack of ambition. You’re also seeing new subcategories emerge, such as weight-loss drugs entering advertising cautiously. They cannot scale aggressively overnight, but the momentum is building.Meanwhile, auto, BFSI, fintech, retail and e-commerce are maintaining growth. So, in this context, 9.7% is a very strong number.

What are the biggest challenges media agency leaders face today?

The primary challenge is reshaping brand dialogues. We must shift away from siloed approaches — TV first, then digital, then commerce. Media journeys need to be architected around content and commerce ecosystems.

Another significant issue is the divide between brand marketing and performance marketing. This split weakens consumer storytelling and, frankly, ROI. When long-term equity, brand credibility and immediate sales are aligned, results improve. We have frameworks and analytics that validate this.Some clients are already advancing on that path. Others are evolving alongside us. It is a collective transformation.

What will be the single biggest shift in media this year?

The biggest shift is acknowledging that digital is now mainstream. With nearly 68–70% share, digital is no longer “emerging.” It is foundational. The real change is toward integrated media thinking instead of channel silos. Consumers do not distinguish between platforms; they follow content. Our planning systems must mirror that behaviour.