India's digital advertising ecosystem is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence, programmatic buying, and the rise of connected television. Executives from the adtech firm MiQ highlighted that the country's advertising expenditure is approaching ₹2 lakh crore (approximately $240 billion USD), with digital media accounting for nearly 70% of this total. The number of connected TV households has increased dramatically from 22 million three years ago to nearly 78 million today, with expectations to reach 100 million by the end of 2027.

As marketers shift their focus from traditional television to programmatic advertising, this automated approach has become the standard for digital campaigns across mobile, connected TV, and digital out-of-home platforms. MiQ's Sigma platform aims to streamline this process by connecting consumer signals across various devices, allowing advertisers to better target their audiences and optimize campaigns.

The emergence of generative AI is also changing campaign planning, enabling advertisers to analyze data more efficiently and generate insights through natural language prompts. However, MiQ emphasizes the importance of human oversight in media planning, even as automation becomes more prevalent. Additionally, the tightening of data privacy regulations in India may reshape how advertising platforms use consumer data, potentially leading to more privacy-compliant practices. MiQ anticipates that future disruptions in advertising will stem from changes in search and discovery behaviors influenced by generative AI platforms.