India’s financial crime agency has called on representatives from Google and Meta to explain their role in the advertisement and visibility of illegal betting platforms operating online. The summons, issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, form part of a broader probe into how these platforms promote their services through digital channels and evade regulatory scrutiny. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has scheduled meetings with...

India’s influencer marketing industry has reached a market size of ₹3,000–₹3,500 crore, fueled by the rising power of the country’s 3.5–4.5 million content creators, according to the newly released Kofluence Influencer Marketing Report 2025. The report, based on insights from over 1,000 creators and marketers, highlights decentralised growth, with creators from Tier 2 and 3 cities building highly engaged communities using regional languages and...

India’s influencer marketing industry is projected to grow by 25% in 2025, reaching approximately ₹4,500 crore (US$540 million), according to the India Influencer Marketing Report 2025 by The Goat Agency (WPP Media) and Kantar. The growth is being driven by traditional and digital-first media firms investing in influencer partnerships, content studios, and creator tech stacks. The report notes that over 20 mergers and acquisitions have...

Spending on AI-powered search advertising in the United States is projected to grow dramatically from just over $1 billion in 2024 to nearly $26 billion by 2029, according to new data from research firm Emarketer. The forecast highlights a rapid shift in how advertisers are allocating budgets, with AI-driven ads offering more advanced targeting and engagement than traditional keyword-based models. The report suggests that companies...

India’s top 10 advertisers have significantly reduced their television ad spending over the past year, leading to a measurable drop in total ad airtime. According to data from the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), the average weekly television commercial (TVC) duration for these advertisers declined by 14.6 per cent year-on-year. In May 2024, their collective TV ad time stood at 15.30 million seconds per...

The number of advertisements promoting products or services prohibited by Indian law rose sharply by 23.6% in FY 2024–25, reaching a total of 3,347 cases, according to the latest annual report from the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). The majority of these violations stemmed from offshore betting platforms, which continue to exploit digital channels despite regulatory scrutiny. Offshore betting and realty top the violation...

India’s competition watchdog has uncovered evidence suggesting that several top global advertising firms colluded to fix commission rates, violating the country’s antitrust laws. The findings are part of an ongoing investigation by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), triggered by whistleblower inputs and detailed in an internal document reviewed ahead of surprise raids conducted in March. Coordinated fee-fixing among industry players The CCI’s confidential note, dated...

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has called upon leading Indian streaming platforms—Netflix, Prime Video, and JioCinema—to stop streaming Turkish content, citing Turkiye’s political support for Pakistan on matters sensitive to India’s national interest. The appeal comes amid rising diplomatic tension and growing public sentiment against Turkish cultural exports. In a public statement issued on May 16, the film and television workers' body...

In a major setback for Google’s advertising business, a U.S. federal judge has ruled that the tech giant illegally monopolised parts of the online advertising technology market, stifling competition and harming publishers and consumers. The decision came in a case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice and several states, and it marks a significant development in the government’s wider effort to rein in...

Google has reported a significant surge in its enforcement against misleading and fraudulent advertising, with a notable focus on political ads during India's 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to its 2024 Ads Safety Report, the tech giant suspended 2.9 million ad accounts originating from India, part of a broader crackdown that saw 5.1 billion ads blocked globally and 39.2 million advertiser accounts taken down,...