Auto Advertising Shifts Gears in 2025: TV Loses Ground as Print and Digital Rewrite the Media Mix

Introduction

I ndia's automobile sector has long been one of the most aggressive advertisers in the country — and for good reason. With millions of purchase decisions made each year across passenger vehicles, two-wheelers, and a rapidly growing electric mobility segment, the competition for consumer attention is fierce. But the latest TAM AdEx Cross Media Advertising Recap for 2025 reveals something unexpected: the media playbook that drove auto advertising for decades is being rewritten. Television is losing its grip, print is staging a remarkable comeback, and digital is redefining what targeted auto marketing looks like. Here is what every brand and media planner needs to understand.

The Big Announcement

TAM AdEx has released its 2025 Cross Media Advertising Recap for the Auto Sector, offering a comprehensive view of how India's automobile advertisers allocated budgets across television, print, radio, and digital platforms through the year.

The headline finding is striking: television ad volumes for the auto sector declined 22 percent in 2025 compared to 2021, reflecting a sustained multi-year shift away from the medium that once dominated auto advertising. While there were intermittent surges — including a 26 percent rise in television volumes during the third quarter compared to the first — the overall trajectory pointed firmly downward.

Print told an entirely different story. Ad space in print grew 50 percent in 2025 compared to 2021, with momentum building steadily across the year. The fourth quarter alone recorded a 27 percent increase over the first quarter, signalling renewed and growing confidence among auto advertisers in the print medium.

Radio advertising volumes doubled compared to 2021, while digital ad impressions nearly tripled — though digital saw some moderation toward the year's end. Together, these shifts paint a picture of an industry actively recalibrating its media strategy around performance, regional reach, and consumer conversion.

What This Means for Your Brand

The implications of this media mix shift extend well beyond the auto sector. For any brand that has historically leaned on television as its primary reach vehicle, the TAM AdEx findings serve as a timely reminder that media consumption patterns — and advertiser effectiveness — are evolving faster than many planning cycles can accommodate.

The dominance of sales promotions within print advertising is particularly instructive. Sales-led content accounted for 67 percent of total print ad space in the auto sector, reflecting a deliberate shift toward conversion-focused communication rather than pure brand awareness. For auto brands, this means print is no longer just a tactical medium — it is a primary driver of retail action.

For regional brands and dealers, the North zone's leadership in print advertising — accounting for 33 percent of total ad space — highlights the continued importance of geographically targeted campaigns. Auto purchases remain highly local decisions, influenced by dealer relationships, regional preferences, and localized promotional offers.

The digital surge is equally important. Nearly tripling ad impressions over four years reflects the growing sophistication of auto advertisers in using data-driven targeting, performance marketing, and content-led storytelling to reach specific consumer segments — from first-time two-wheeler buyers to premium electric vehicle enthusiasts.

The contrarian view worth considering: the decline in television volumes does not necessarily mean television is irrelevant. It means auto brands are becoming more selective about when and how they use it — reserving mass-reach television for high-impact moments like festive seasons and major product launches.

The Numbers Behind the News

The TAM AdEx data points tell a compelling story when read together. A 22 percent drop in television ad volumes over four years. A 50 percent increase in print ad space over the same period. Radio volumes doubling. Digital impressions nearly tripling. These are not marginal adjustments — they represent a fundamental restructuring of how one of India's most significant advertising categories allocates its budgets.

Passenger cars and two-wheelers remained the most advertised segments across both television and print, with Maruti Suzuki India maintaining top advertiser positions in both channels — a reflection of the brand's commitment to sustained multi-platform presence rather than a single-channel bet.

The electric vehicle segment added a new dimension to auto advertising in 2025, with brands investing heavily in awareness-building campaigns designed to educate consumers and build trust in a category that many Indian buyers are still evaluating for the first time. This educational imperative tends to favour digital and content-led formats — which may partly explain the surge in digital ad impressions.

Festive seasons continued to drive significant spikes in advertising activity, with brands aligning campaign intensity around consumer purchase cycles — a pattern that is likely to persist and intensify as competition in the auto sector grows.

The Brands.in Perspective

The TAM AdEx auto sector recap for 2025 is not just a data report — it is a mirror held up to an industry in transition. The shift from television to print and digital is not a retreat from ambition; it is a recalibration toward accountability. Auto brands are increasingly asking not just how many people saw their advertisement, but how many walked into a showroom or requested a test drive as a result. That performance orientation is healthy — and it is reshaping media planning conversations across the industry. For agencies and media planners, the message is clear: integrated, outcome-focused strategies are no longer a best practice. They are the baseline expectation.

Key Takeaways for Marketers

• Auto sector TV ad volumes fell 22 percent in 2025 compared to 2021
• Print ad space grew 50 percent over the same period, driven by sales promotions
• Sales-led content accounted for 67 percent of total print ad space in the auto sector
• Digital ad impressions nearly tripled, reflecting growing investment in targeted campaigns
• The North zone led regional print advertising with a 33 percent share of total ad space

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are auto brands reducing television advertising? The shift reflects a broader move toward performance-driven and regionally targeted media formats. Print and digital offer more measurable outcomes for sales-led campaigns, making them increasingly attractive relative to the broad reach of television.

Is print making a genuine comeback in auto advertising? Yes, according to TAM AdEx data. Print ad space in the auto sector grew 50 percent between 2021 and 2025, with the fourth quarter of 2025 recording its strongest performance — driven largely by sales promotions and dealer-level activations.

How is the electric vehicle boom affecting auto advertising trends? EV brands are investing significantly in awareness and education campaigns, favouring digital and content-led formats to reach and inform consumers who are evaluating electric mobility for the first time. This is contributing to the rise in digital ad impressions across the auto category.

Closing

India's auto sector is not just changing the cars it makes — it is changing the way it talks to consumers. As the media mix continues to evolve, which channels do you think will define auto advertising in 2026 and beyond? Share your perspective below, and follow brands.in for daily brand intelligence that keeps you ahead of every shift that matters.