Ad, media firms see hope from GST rejig

The latest tax rejig announced by the GST (Goods and Services Tax) Council has sparked optimism across the advertising and media ecosystem.

- Lata Jha

While core ad rates remain unchanged—18% for digital and television, and 5% for print—the bigger gains come from tax cuts on consumer-facing sectors such as FMCG, durables, automobiles, and lifestyle products. As essentials and premium goods become more affordable, brands are signaling plans to ramp up festive campaigns.

"With GST on premium TVs slashed to 18%, more households are expected to upgrade to larger screens. That automatically benefits OTT and broadcast advertising, as consumption of high-quality video content rises," said Neelesh Pednekar, co-founder and head digital media, Social Pill, a digital marketing firm.