Radio advertising volumes in India grew 1.2% during January–July 2026 compared with the corresponding period in 2025, according to the latest TAM AdEx Advertising Report on Radio 25–26. Volumes were also 5% higher than the January–July 2024 period, pointing to continued advertiser activity on the medium.

Key highlights

•    Radio ad volumes grew 1.2% in Jan–Jul 2026 over the corresponding period in 2025, and were 5% higher than Jan–Jul 2024.
•    Services retained its position as the leading sector, with the top 10 sectors accounting for nearly 92% of radio ad volumes.
•    Personal Healthcare entered the top 10, while Properties/Real Estate led categories with a 17% share and registered 20% growth during the period.
•    Maruti Suzuki India remained the leading advertiser, while three new advertisers entered the top 10.
•    Vimal Pan Masala topped the brand rankings, with the top 10 brands together accounting for 11% of radio ad volumes.
•    Gujarat led states with a 17% share, followed by Maharashtra at 15%. The top five states contributed 61% of volumes.
•    Jaipur emerged as the leading city, while the top 10 cities accounted for 63% of radio ad volumes.

The Services sector retained the top position during the period, with the top 10 sectors collectively accounting for nearly 92% of radio ad volumes. Personal Healthcare entered the top 10 sectors during Jan–Jul 2026.

At the category level, Properties/Real Estate continued to lead, contributing 17% of total radio ad volumes while recording 20% growth. Several other categories also registered sharp increases. Edible Oil grew 92%, followed by Digestives at 82%, Life Insurance at 79%, Range of OTC Products at 66% and Corporate–NBFCs at 64%. Anywhere Banking recorded a six-fold increase among the categories highlighted in the report. Overall, more than 140 categories registered positive growth during the period.

Among advertisers, Maruti Suzuki India retained the top position in Jan–Jul 2026. Three of the top 10 advertisers were new entrants, indicating a shift in the advertiser mix on radio. SBS Biotech also moved up the rankings during the period.

At the brand level, more than 7,500 brands used radio during the seven-month period.

Vimal Pan Masala emerged as the leading brand, followed by Muthoot Financial Enterprises, Maruti Suzuki Arena, SBI, Gaana.com, Pet Saffa, Maruti Suzuki e Vitara, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, LIC Bima Lakshmi and Dr Ortho Range of Products. The top 10 brands together accounted for 11% of total radio ad volumes, with three new entrants making it into the ranking.

Radio advertising remained concentrated across key geographic markets. Gujarat led the state rankings with a 17% share, followed by Maharashtra at 15%. The top five states contributed 61% of total radio ad volumes.

At the city level, Jaipur emerged as the leading market, followed by Nagpur, Indore, New Delhi, Surat, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Lucknow and Bhopal. Collectively, the top 10 cities accounted for 63% of radio ad volumes.

Advertisers also continued to concentrate activity around specific listening periods. Evening accounted for 38% of radio ad volumes, followed by afternoon at 32%, morning at 28% and night at 2%. Morning and evening together accounted for 70% of total volumes.

In terms of commercial length, 20–40-second advertisements remained the dominant format, accounting for 66% of volumes. Ads below 20 seconds contributed 28%, while 45–60-second commercials accounted for 4% and spots longer than 60 seconds represented 2%.

The report is based on data from 122+ radio stations in association with RCS India, and tracks commercial advertising on radio through ad secondages.