MUMBAI – From binge-watching to binge-buying, connected TV is rewriting India’s festive shopping playbook. At the 3rd India Brand Summit 2025, Nikhil Kumar, chief growth officer at mediasmart, joined Indiantelevision.com group founder, chairman & editor in chief Anil NM Wanvari to chart how connected TV (CTV) has evolved from a niche experiment during COVID to a Rs 2,500 crore ad magnet today.
“When we first spoke about it five years ago, we said CTV would change the way the world perceives television,” Kumar recalled. “Back then it was new, almost niche. Today there are dedicated CTV conferences, panels, and players from OEMs and ad tech firms to SSPs and publishers. Everyone knows the power of CTV.”
The growth numbers back him up. India’s CTV ad spends are projected to touch Rs 2,500 crore in 2025, reflecting 40 per cent growth, as per industry reports. “That’s one of the fastest-growing slices of media we’ve ever seen,” Kumar noted.
What’s driving this growth? For Kumar, the answer lies in how festive season advertising has shifted. Consumers now hop seamlessly across screens mobiles in the morning, laptops at work, and smart TVs in the evening. “We’ve moved from asking where the ad is shown to who the ad is shown to,” he said.
Acquired by Affle group, mediasmart has positioned itself not just as a CTV player but as an omnichannel partner. “No consumer lives on a single screen. People are constantly engaging with multiple touchpoints mobile, CTV, even OOH. Our job is to help advertisers minimise frequency fatigue and maximise relevance across devices,” he explained.
Kumar stressed that AI is now the backbone of ad delivery tracking attention, optimising frequency, and ensuring seamless user journeys from TV to mobile to purchase. From QR codes on screen to shoppable ads and interactive formats, engagement has become more dynamic and measurable.
“Ads are evolving. A campaign today might prompt a viewer to scan a code, explore an offer on mobile, or engage with gamified elements on their TV. This interactivity is making advertising far more actionable,” Kumar said, pointing to case studies where TV-to-mobile commerce spiked festive sales.
Brands too have gotten sharper. From weather-optimised ads in Mumbai’s monsoons to contextual integrations in daily soaps, marketers are weaving themselves seamlessly into storytelling. “Consumers don’t want repetition. They want relevance,” he quipped.
Looking ahead, Kumar sees three big shifts:
● AI-powered personalisation that adapts by region, language, and timing.
● Shoppable and interactive ads that nudge viewers from watching to buying.
● Better measurement, as agencies and OEMs collaborate to unify fragmented ecosystems.
Kumar signed off with a reminder: “Brands should think beyond ads and impressions. Integrated journeys connecting CTV with offline sync, store visits, and mobile engagement will deliver real festive impact.”
As the festive season nears, one thing is clear, CTV is no longer just screen time, it’s shopping time.
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