summary
- Digital and gaming are set to dominate India’s media economy, accounting for 46% of sector revenue by 2027.
- Traditional formats like TV, radio, and print will decline in share despite reinvestment efforts.
- Advertising will drive future revenue, while subscriptions shrink amid changing content strategies.
🚨 Digital media in India has surpassed traditional television in 2024. (FICCI-EY) pic.twitter.com/UNe7V17RRc
— Indian Tech & Infra (@IndianTechGuide) March 28, 2025
The Platform Power Shift
For decades, India’s media landscape was defined by television’s dominance, the daily ritual of print, and the reassuring buzz of FM radios in traffic. But that era is ending—quietly, and swiftly. According to the latest FICCI-EY media and entertainment report, digital platforms have already overtaken television as the largest revenue segment in 2024, marking a structural pivot in how India consumes content.
The findings point to a future led by digital media growth India 2025, where traditional formats are not only playing catch-up but struggling to survive. By 2027, digital media (including online gaming) is projected to contribute 46% of the entire sector’s revenue. In contrast, legacy media—TV, print, film, and radio—will shrink to just 41%. For the first time, India’s content economy will be shaped more by algorithms and smartphones than by satellite dishes or front pages.
This isn’t just a shift in medium—it’s a shift in mentality. Users are demanding short-form, mobile-optimized, and often interactive content. Advertisers are following suit. Subscription models are losing ground. And for newsrooms, production houses, and platforms alike, it means rethinking not just distribution—but identity.
The future of Indian media is digital-first. And the challenge now is whether traditional media can evolve—or get absorbed.
What the Numbers Say—and Don’t
- The Indian media and entertainment (M&E) sector grew 3.3% in 2024 to ₹2.5 trillion, up ₹81 billion from the previous year.
- Digital media became the largest segment, overtaking television by contributing 32% of total industry revenues.
- Traditional formats (TV, print, radio, and music) dropped by ₹30 billion, reflecting a 3% year-on-year decline.
- New media, including gaming, now makes up 41% of the total sector.
- Digital is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.2% through 2027, far outpacing legacy segments.
The scale of digital media growth India 2025 is not anecdotal—it’s quantifiable. In just one year, digital media revenues surged past television, a landmark moment that reflects not only shifting viewer preferences but fundamental changes in monetization.
From 2024 to 2027, India’s M&E industry is projected to grow at 7% CAGR, adding ₹564 billion in value. A staggering 68% of that growth will come from new media. The rest will be driven by live events (12%), animation and VFX (8%), and only marginally by traditional content streams.
The shift is not just in reach, but also in returns. Advertising is expected to comprise 52% of the total sector’s revenue by 2027, up from 51% in 2024. Subscription, once seen as the holy grail for streaming platforms, will drop to 35%, indicating a pivot back to ad-supported models—even among paywall-native brands.
And perhaps most tellingly, television—the long-standing anchor of India’s media industry—has registered negative growth: -0.6% in 2024. It’s a decline that underscores the urgency for traditional players to either transform—or become obsolete.
The Winners in the New Media Game
- Gaming and digital streaming platforms are emerging as high-growth drivers within new media.
- Youth-led consumption on YouTube, Instagram, and gaming apps is displacing TV time.
- Regional content and vernacular creators are unlocking new engagement through digital channels.
- Online-first newsrooms and multimedia brands are outpacing legacy outlets in user retention.
- Adtech innovation is fueling hyper-targeted monetization, especially in Tier 2–3 cities.
Behind the numbers is a human shift—one led by India’s youngest and most mobile-first generation. Platforms like YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and mobile gaming titles like BGMI and Free Fire are not just entertainment—they’re lifestyle anchors. The report notes that as news consumption migrates to video and social platforms, editorial strategies must pivot toward youth engagement, cross-platform presence, and multi-format storytelling.
This trend is breathing life into vernacular and regional creators, many of whom were excluded from legacy gatekeeping structures. Now, with just a smartphone and social signal, they’re building empires. Brands are noticing. Advertising spends are increasingly directed toward micro-influencers and regional digital media, bypassing national TV entirely.
Moreover, innovations in adtech—especially those that allow real-time user segmentation and targeting—are proving critical. In cities like Indore, Surat, and Patna, small businesses now run geotargeted digital campaigns that would’ve once only been possible via national television slots.
This is the new engine of digital media growth India 2025: young creators, smart tech, and hyper-local engagement at national scale.
Where Traditional Media Goes From Here
- Broadcasters are reinvesting in content quality and hybrid TV–digital experiences to remain relevant.
- Print media is exploring metered access, newsletters, and niche community products.
- OOH and radio are integrating with digital screens, smart speakers, and transit networks.
- Traditional newsrooms are rethinking monetization models, leaning on analytics and diversified formats.
- Legacy brands are rebranding themselves as “platform-agnostic publishers.”
All is not lost for traditional media—but reinvention is non-negotiable.
Broadcasters are already responding to digital media growth India 2025 by experimenting with hybrid formats. Linear TV is increasingly bundled with OTT offerings, and smart TVs are being loaded with dual-mode content apps. In high-ARPU households, the TV remote still matters—but only when paired with voice commands and on-demand viewing.
Print media is also evolving. While circulation figures have plateaued or declined, the format itself is being reimagined. Some brands are embracing metered paywalls, others are launching membership models or branded podcasts. The goal: build affinity, not just audience.
Meanwhile, Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising is becoming smarter—digital billboards, facial-recognition triggers, and programmatic placements are replacing static hoardings. Even radio is adjusting, integrating with smart car dashboards, music streaming platforms, and AI voice assistants.
Legacy media houses are slowly learning that their core product is not “print” or “broadcast”—it’s trust and storytelling. To survive, they must meet the user where they are: on their phone, during their commute, between scrolls.
The Real Disruption Is Still Coming
The digital media growth India 2025 story isn’t just about more screen time—it’s about deeper transformation. Behind the rising revenues lie tectonic changes in power, platform politics, and data control.
The next phase of disruption will come not just from content creators, but from infrastructure shifts: AI-led content personalization, blockchain-based ad verification, decentralized moderation models, and creator-first monetization ecosystems. Platforms like YouTube, ShareChat, and OTT players are racing to own not just the viewer—but the creator economy itself.
For India’s media sector, the question is no longer whether to go digital. It’s how fast—and how far—you’re willing to evolve.
