Digital advertising in India enters a new phase of growth, fuelled by rising ecommerce adoption, connected TV consumption and rapid smartphone upgrades
As Gen Z consumers reshape content consumption and shopping habits, advertisers are moving beyond impressions and clicks towards deeper engagement metrics, says Snap India MD.The era of measuring digital advertising success through reach, impressions and video views is coming to an end, according to Snap India Managing Director Pulkit Trivedi, who believes “attention” will emerge as the most valuable currency for marketers targeting young consumers.As Gen Z users increasingly discover products through private conversations, communities and creator content rather than traditional social feeds, brands will need to rethink both how they advertise and how they measure success, Trivedi told businessline.New Strategy“The next big currency in measurement or advertising is going to be attention,” Trivedi said. “Nobody wants to see an ad. What brands need to know is whether consumers actually paid attention to their message and whether that attention is translated into outcomes.”The shift comes as digital advertising in India enters a new phase of growth, fuelled by rising ecommerce adoption, connected TV consumption and rapid smartphone upgrades. Trivedi estimates India’s digital advertising market, currently valued at over $10 billion, could expand to $18-20 billion over the next three to five years.Snap is positioning itself at the centre of this transition by focusing on immersive advertising formats that combine augmented reality, video and messaging experiences. The company argues that traditional linear marketing funnels are breaking down as content discovery, commerce and social interactions increasingly overlap.“The classic funnel is not linear anymore,” Trivedi said. “Discovery, shopping and conversations are all happening simultaneously, and brands need to adapt to that reality.”Young CustomersThe strategy appears to be resonating with advertisers. Snapchat’s advertiser base in India has grown tenfold over the past two years, while the number of brands spending consistently on the platform has tripled, according to the company.“We’ve moved from being an experimental platform to becoming a core part of media plans for many advertisers,” Trivedi said.Snapchat’s pitch to advertisers rests on its young user base. According to Trivedi, more than 90 per cent of Snapchat users in India are between the ages of 13 and 30, while the platform has over 250 million monthly active users in the country.“We are a true Gen Z platform,” he said. “Our differentiation is that we have young audiences who use our platform in a very authentic, meaningful way that helps them build real connections.”Moments MarketingBeyond immersive advertising, Snap is also investing heavily in AI-powered advertising tools, including automated bidding, audience targeting and creative optimisation.“We are seeing a massive lift in conversions and lower customer acquisition costs through AI-led automation,” Trivedi said.The company is also doubling down on what it calls “moments marketing”, targeting cultural events such as IPL, Diwali and Holi when user engagement surges. During the recent IPL season, Snap deployed a real-time advertising format that triggered brand offers when a six was hit during a match.“We are a moments marketing platform,” Trivedi said. “The emotional affinity associated with how a brand message shows up during these moments is very different, and we’ve seen it translate into outcomes.”With India’s digital advertising market expected to nearly double over the next few years, Trivedi believes platforms that can capture consumer attention rather than simply deliver impressions will be best positioned to benefit.“Attention will be one of the most valuable currencies advertisers will need to measure in the next few years,” he said.Published on June 4, 2026
