From Boardrooms to Living Rooms: Why B2B Brands in India Are Tapping into the CTV Boom

In the fast-evolving world of advertising, a surprising new trend is emerging in India’s digital landscape — B2B brands are turning to Connected TV (CTV) to reach decision-makers not just in boardrooms, but in their living rooms. Once considered the domain of B2C marketers pushing products like luxury watches and streaming platforms, CTV is now gaining traction among B2B companies eager to redefine how they engage India’s business audience.

What’s fueling this shift? A mix of changing media consumption habits, enhanced targeting capabilities, and a renewed push for brand recall in premium environments. B2B brands have realized that the new-age decision-maker isn’t confined to the confines of the 9-to-5 workday — they are streaming content at home, browsing across devices, and making business choices influenced by both logic and lifestyle.

Let’s explore why CTV is becoming the next frontier for Indian B2B marketing.

CTV’s Rapid Rise in Indian Homes

Connected TV refers to internet-enabled televisions — including smart TVs, streaming devices like Fire TV Stick or Chromecast, and gaming consoles — that deliver OTT (over-the-top) content on the big screen. In India, CTV adoption has soared thanks to affordable smart TVs, cheaper data, and the rise of local and global OTT platforms.

According to industry reports, India had over 25 million CTV users by the end of 2024, and this number is projected to cross 40 million by 2026. Urban and semi-urban homes increasingly see CTV as the primary entertainment medium, replacing traditional cable.

This new viewership isn’t just passive — it's tech-savvy, time-rich, and in many cases, decision-influential. These are the very people B2B brands want to talk to.

The B2B-Buyer Evolution: Always Connected, Always Watching

In earlier times, B2B marketing was dominated by trade shows, whitepapers, and email campaigns. But today’s B2B buyer — be it a CMO, CIO, or business founder — lives in a world of blended boundaries. Work and life overlap. Business decisions are often researched after hours, on tablets and smart TVs. And purchasing power is often shaped by what people see — and feel — outside the office too.

By reaching audiences via high-quality CTV inventory, B2B brands are breaking the monotony of work-only engagement and embedding themselves into premium, lean-back media moments — think evening OTT binges, weekend streaming, or family co-viewing sessions.

This environment, free from clutter and banner fatigue, gives brands the space to create lasting impressions.

What Makes CTV Irresistible to B2B Advertisers

Here’s why B2B brands in India are warming up to CTV:

1. High-Intent, Affluent Audience

CTV users in India typically belong to urban, upwardly mobile households with access to multiple screens and subscriptions. These viewers are often key business decision-makers or influencers, making them ideal targets for B2B campaigns around IT, finance, cloud services, or corporate insurance.

2. Premium Brand Environment

B2B brands, particularly those in the tech or finance sectors, want their messaging to reflect credibility, scale, and trust. CTV platforms offer HD ad inventory, minimal distractions, and prime-time visibility, all of which elevate the perceived brand quality.

3. Advanced Targeting Options

Thanks to IP-based targeting, advertisers on CTV can leverage household-level data, geo-location, content preferences, and device usage patterns to serve more relevant, hyper-personalized ads — something that traditional TV simply cannot offer.

4. Full-Funnel Attribution

Unlike linear TV, CTV campaigns can be linked to digital actions, such as website visits, app downloads, or form fills. This allows B2B marketers to go beyond brand awareness and track conversions and ROI more effectively.

Not Just Awareness — It's Influence

For B2B brands, the biggest challenge has always been building top-of-mind awareness in a saturated digital environment. Emails go unread. Display ads are blocked. Cold calls are ignored.

CTV offers an alternative — one that’s visually rich, story-led, and impossible to scroll past. Whether it’s a 15-second explainer for a cybersecurity solution or a powerful testimonial from a CEO, CTV enables emotional storytelling, helping B2B brands stay relevant in an increasingly human-first marketing landscape.

Plus, co-viewing behavior (when multiple people watch the same screen) expands the message’s reach — not just to the target buyer, but also to their peers and family members, subtly amplifying brand familiarity.

Case in Point: Early Adopters Lead the Way

Some forward-thinking B2B companies in India have already begun testing CTV as part of their omnichannel strategy.

• A leading SaaS firm recently ran a CTV campaign during the IPL season, promoting its SME accounting software to business owners during prime-time cricket matches.

• An enterprise cybersecurity brand launched a series of short CTV spots around smart home content to tap into tech-conscious professionals with cross-device behavior.

These experiments showed not only lift in brand recall, but also higher engagement with follow-up digital campaigns on social and search.

Challenges B2B Brands Must Address

Of course, CTV advertising isn’t without hurdles:

• Media planning complexity: Since CTV is fragmented across devices and apps, measuring unified reach is still evolving.

• Creative adaptation: B2B marketers must re-think how they present their solutions in shorter, punchier formats that suit the living-room experience.

• Cost concerns: CTV inventory is premium-priced. Without sharp targeting and storytelling, campaigns can fall flat.

That said, with better tech stacks and data partnerships, these barriers are quickly being addressed.

The Road Ahead: CTV as a Must-Have, Not a Nice-to-Have

As India’s digital media matures, CTV will increasingly become a cornerstone of premium B2B campaigns. It offers a rare blend of visual impact, targeting precision, and cultural alignment — all of which are becoming non-negotiable for modern marketers.

The idea isn’t to abandon traditional B2B tactics. Instead, it’s about integrating CTV into a larger, audience-centric funnel — one where brand visibility and performance co-exist.

Conclusion: Business Decisions Begin at Home

In today’s hyper-connected world, the person watching a series on a CTV screen at night could very well be signing off on a million-dollar enterprise deal the next morning. For B2B marketers, ignoring that moment of influence is a lost opportunity.

As more brands embrace storytelling, smart tech, and surround-sound visibility, CTV presents a stage where B2B products and services can shine — not in boardrooms, but in the hearts and minds of people at home.