OTTs must think like tech cos. to monetise: GroupM's Ashwin Padmanabhan

India is undergoing a pivotal transformation due to the significant growth of OTT (over-the-top) or on-demand content available today. According to the 2025 FICCI EY report, by 2030, the number of large screens in India will cross 200 million, and small (phone) screens will reach almost 700 million, creating a large base of consumers hungry for content and information. 

However, the report also states that digital advertising grew 17% to reach Rs 700 billion, which is 55% of total advertising revenues. Search and social media accounted for 11% of this growth, while e-commerce advertising contributed 50%. This means that despite the growth in OTT content, these platforms are grappling with the complexity of monetising this rapidly evolving environment. 

During a recent panel discussion at AVIA’s Future of Video India conference, which was part of WAVES 2025, Ashwin Padmanabhan, chief operating officer, South Asia, at GroupM; Ranjana Mangla, senior vice president and head of ad revenue at Sony LIV; and Akila Jayaraman, head of GTM strategy and marketing at Jio Ads, unpacked these challenges, and future pathways for commercialising streaming in India.

Padmanabhan started off by emphasising the growing perception that streaming is an extension of television. He said in Western markets, this transition is already underway. In India, it's catching up quickly.

“Brands are now engaging in a total TV conversation—combining traditional linear TV delivered via cable and satellite with video-on-demand (VOD) and connected TV (CTV).”

"While linear TV ratings are declining, CTV viewership is accelerating," he noted. "TV, regardless of its delivery method, remains impactful." Mobile, with its deep penetration, remains important, but it's the evolving relationship between linear TV and CTV that is attracting keen interest from advertisers, he added. 

The measurement and distribution challenge

A major hurdle remains audience measurement. Mangla brought up a crucial issue, saying that the inconsistent treatment of mobile and CTV streaming poses a challenge.

“With audiences now spending 8–10 hours daily across multiple screens, traditional TV metrics no longer capture this fragmented engagement. Streaming often sees high view-through rates, but monetisation models and measurement systems have not yet caught up,” she noted.

As the market grows, the question of who will standardise measurement remains pressing she pointed out. She also called for transparency in OTT measurement, similar to that of television. "A unified measurement system is essential for fostering trust and value in digital advertising," she said.

According to Padmanabhan, 'attention planning', a new metric framework focused on how audiences engage with content, is the way to go. "We’re helping brands understand how to link the right metrics to content quality, audience engagement, and business outcomes," he explained.

He cited that connected TV now accounts for roughly 30% of total viewership in India, with impressions doubling every six months at the pin-code level. Still, this reach largely covers the top 1–2% of Indian households.

“To effectively monetise this premium audience, innovation in ad selling strategies and backend infrastructure is essential.” 

He pointed out that many broadcasters are still operating with a content-first mindset, which worked in traditional media but is insufficient in the digital age. "Broadcasters need to think like tech companies," he urged. "You don't have to build everything in-house, but you do need a tech-driven mindset to succeed in streaming."

Padmanabhan said, "Without technology, you can't monetise streaming. Broadcasters know how to break content; however, the challenge now is doing it profitably."

Rethinking ad formats

However, Jayaraman said that while innovations such as shoppable ads are generating buzz, traditional video remains dominant. She said even though these formats exist, the audience hasn’t evolved yet. 

"There’s high potential in pre-roll and in-content formats, particularly on premium video."

She said that social media is noisy and building a brand today is difficult. OTT platforms offer deeper engagement. The challenge lies in smart ad targeting using demographics and household-level data to ensure value delivery.

However, Mangla cautioned that aggressive monetisation could disrupt viewer experience. "Streaming's strength is its on-demand nature. If the content is engaging, users come back, but we must balance ad innovation with viewer retention."

According to the panellists, premium video growth will be driven by a hybrid ROI model that blends content, connectivity, and commerce.