India and the Digital Media Wave: Transforming Consumer Choices, Culture, and Global Attention

By: Chhavi Jain

We have entered an era where the expanse of digital media has reached to new dimensions, transforming everything from the way we consume content to the way we make informed choices as consumers. Underscoring the rapid shift in this direction, our esteemed guest at this year’s orientation, Ms. Mona Jain, Chief Growth Officer of Brand Pulse Global, has aptly emphasised the ever-expanding reach of digital media.

With more than three decades in the media industry, she has built an extensive expertise spanning consumer research, market insights, client strategy and a leadership role in advertising and mainstream media. Her session on “Economics of the media industry” illustrated the growth trajectory in different sectors of the media industry. The focus was largely on the tremendous growth of digital media over the last few years. The advertising landscape is also undergoing a major shift with new media dominating the industry. In fact,56% of the advertising was done through new media alone, while traditional media contributed  44%. What’s even more striking is that it alone has driven 109% of the total ad growth, clearly reflecting a strategic shift in brand strategies towards reaching their core audience more effectively.

Another important aspect that new media covers is online gaming and other digital platforms, which have grown by 12% and now make up 41% of the overall M&E sector. On the contrary, television as a medium continues to decline, driven by changing consumer habits and a shift towards more personalised options. At the same time, connected TV (CTVs) has expanded rapidly,y reaching over more than 94.5 million users with content consumption on them, along with smartphones surging by 246% in the last few years. Over-the-top platforms have also risen to unprecedented heights, with JioHotstar capturing 67% of the market in India.

Today, India stands at the heart of the global tech and media revolution, not just integrating new technologies but adapting them in ways that set benchmarks for the world. It comes as no surprise when international giants like Meta and Google now view India as one of their promising markets for content consumption, user engagement and revenue generation. But the story doesn’t stop with digital platforms; global icons like Coldplay to Dua Lipa have taken centre stage in India, showcasing their talent through live shows, reflecting the country’s cultural pull. The latest example comes from the global sensation Ed Sheeran, who collaborated with Arijit Singh for his song “Sapphire”, beautifully capturing the essence of Indian culture and spirit. Clearly, India is not just a traditional market anymore; it has become a stage where tech and digital media have a massive potential to capture the audience.