Connected TV (CTV) in India has moved quickly from an emerging, niche channel to a central pillar in digital media planning. By 2026, the ecosystem is hitting an important inflection point — one where CTV is no longer treated merely as a brand-building medium, but as a performance-ready channel that can hold its own alongside mobile and web. The shift is powered by Smart TV penetration at an affordable price point, data plans, OTT subscription options, and a maturing programmatic supply landscape.
For performance marketers in India, 2026 represents the moment where CTV is set to deliver what the ecosystem has always wanted from television: scale, addressability, and measurable action.
From Passive Viewing to High-Intent Households
While we understand CTV’s growth, it’s also important to view it in conjunction with the larger shift in content consumption among viewers in India. From being a dominant mobile-first short video consumption market to big-screen long form, from linear TV to OTT ecosystems, and from individual viewing to shared household viewing. The shift to “digital-only” users is rising: about 23% of Indians now access internet-delivered content but do not watch linear TV, rather prefer streaming on CTV. More families are gravitating toward lean-back, communal viewing experiences. This provides advertisers an opportunity for storytelling formats, long-form display, and leverage increased on-demand consumption when audiences tune in in a highly attentive environment.
Ad Spend & Addressability: From Experimental to Programmatic
For several advertisers, CTV is no longer a speculative line item. Branding advertisers have been increasingly splitting their share of wallet towards CTV advertising, more geared towards brand awareness and uplift goals. As per a recent analysis, ad spend on CTV in India surged from roughly ₹450 crore in 2022 to ₹1,500 crore in 2024, marking a 233% jump in just two years.
As both device penetration and OTT consumption scale, advertisers are beginning to use CTV not just for upper-funnel storytelling, but for mid- and lower-funnel outcomes as well. This shift matters because it also makes more performance marketers realize CTV’s potential beyond awareness, giving them measurable outcomes towards conversions. With technology solutions such as CTV App Sync, for instance, marketers are able to measure outcomes like app installs/ opens, QR scans, and drive users towards lower-funnel actions.
The Maturing CTV Infrastructure
India’s CTV ecosystem has matured at both the infrastructure and cross-device levels creating the conditions performance marketers rely on. On the supply side, more inventory through Smart TV players, AVOD-supported OTT, FAST channels have made CTV inventory more widely available. At the same time, infrastructure sophistication on CTV, such as MMP integrations and conversion tracking is making it seamless to enable cross-screen campaigns on CTV for mobile conversion.
Adding to this, creative formats themselves have evolved: QR-led engagement, multi-version narratives, and interactive overlays give CTV a clearer path to drive mid- and lower-funnel actions. This fusion of infrastructure maturity, cross-device measurability, and actionable creative formats is what lifts CTV from a standalone branding screen to an integral part of India’s performance ecosystem.
Looking Ahead at 2026 for CTV Performance
As more households watch via CTV and use smartphones simultaneously, cross-screen orchestration is increasingly common. Mobile synergy enables moving viewers from lean-back engagement to lean-forward action, dramatically improving conversion potential. What this means: CTV is now delivering volume, engagement, and measurable intent - the three pillars most performance marketers care about. Add to that the improving supply-side infrastructure (programmatic paths, household-level targeting, wider inventory) and new creative formats (interactive overlays, QR-led call-to-actions, sequential storytelling across screens), and you have a rare convergence.
That convergence, backed by early but growing proof, is why 2026 isn’t just another CTV growth year. It’s arguably the turning point when Connected TV becomes a legitimate performance channel for Indian marketers.
If you're excited to incorporate CTV Performance in your media plans, let's get in touch and plan your 2026 growth! Reach out to me on: marketing@mdsp.co
