Print advertising remained largely resilient in the first seven months of 2026, with ad space declining by a marginal 2% compared with the corresponding period in 2025, according to TAM AdEx’s Advertising Report on Print, January–July 2026. The findings point to a largely stable print advertising market, even as the composition of leading sectors, categories and advertisers saw some movement. 

Key highlights:

• Print ad space declined by 2% in January–July 2026 compared with the corresponding period in 2025.
• Education accounted for 20% of print ad space, ahead of services at 15% in the period.
• The top 10 categories contributed 48% of total ad space, with three of the top 10 categories belonging to the education sector.
• Maruti Suzuki India remained the top advertiser in print in both 2025 and 2026, with seven of the previous year's top 10 advertisers retaining their positions in the top 10.
• Multiple courses category saw the highest increase in print ad space year-on-year, followed by retail outlets-jewellers and ecommerce-other services.
• Hindi publications accounted for 37% of ad volume and English for 29%, giving the two languages a combined 66% share. Marathi followed at 8%, while Kannada and Telugu each contributed 5%.
• Sales promotions accounted for 28% of print ad space, with multiple promotions leading at 45% of sales-promotion advertising, followed by discount promotions at 40%. Together, the two formats accounted for 85% of sales-promotion ad space.
• Allen Career Institute was the top brand in print, followed by LIC of India, while 108,000+ brands advertised in the medium during the period.

Education was the biggest contributor to print ad space, accounting for 20% of the medium’s total share in January–July 2026. Services followed with 15%, auto with 14%, and banking/finance/investment with 11%. The top four sectors retained their respective positions from the previous year. The top five sectors together accounted for more than 66% of print ad space, indicating a relatively concentrated advertiser base across key sectors.

Among the top 10 sectors, personal accessories moved up to fifth place with a 7% share, while retail slipped from fifth to sixth. Food & beverages, personal healthcare and corporate/brand image also improved their rankings, with corporate/brand image entering the top 10 as the only new entrant.

The advertiser landscape remained relatively consistent at the top. Maruti Suzuki India retained the number one position, followed by Hero Motocorp and LIC of India. Seven of the top 10 advertisers from Jan–Jul 2025 remained in the top 10 in 2026, while SBS Biotech, GCMMF and Renault India emerged as new entrants. The top 10 advertisers together contributed 13% of print ad space. 

At the brand level, Allen Career Institute topped the rankings, followed by LIC. Maruti Suzuki had three brands in the top 10: Maruti Suzuki E Vitara, Maruti Car Range and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara. Overall, more than 108,000 brands advertised in print during Jan–Jul 2026. The top 10 brands accounted for 5% of print ad space, with three each belonging to the Auto and Education sectors.

At the category level, cars continued to be the largest advertised category, accounting for 9% of print ad space, followed by multiple courses at 8% and properties/real estates at 6%. Retail outlets-jewellers contributed 5%, while coaching/competitive exam centre, hospital/clinics and two wheelers each accounted for 4%. The top 10 categories collectively contributed 48% of print ad space, with three coming from the education sector and two from auto. Multiple Courses registered the highest increase in absolute print ad space, followed by retail outlets-jewellers and ecommerce-other services. The latter recorded seven-times growth, while herbal juices grew 21 times. Corporate-pharma/healthcare registered 71% growth, and life insurance and mutual funds each grew 30%.

Language continued to be an important feature of print's advertising mix. Hindi publications accounted for 37% of ad volume, while English contributed 29%, meaning the two languages together commanded 66% of print ad space. Marathi followed at 8%, while Kannada and Telugu each accounted for 5%. The top three publication languages remained unchanged from Jan–Jul 2025. 

Promotional advertising also remained significant. Sales promotions accounted for 28% of print ad space during Jan–Jul 2026, with multiple promotion making up 45% of sales-promotion advertising and discount promotion accounting for another 40%. Together, these two formats contributed 85% of sales-promotion ad space. Brand advertising continued to account for the largest share overall at 69%.