A Delhi High Court ruling against Google in a trademark dispute involving sanitaryware brand Hindware could significantly reshape digital advertising practices in India. The court held that Google cannot allow rival companies to bid on the trademarked keyword "HINDWARE" through its advertising platform, marking one of the strongest judicial pushes yet against trademark bidding in India's digital ad ecosystem. Importantly, the court rejected Google's defence that it was merely an intermediary, with the judgment stating that Google plays an active commercial role by selling keywords, running auctions and monetising traffic generated through trademark-based searches. As noted by Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, "Competitor keyword bidding on your brand name is now legally actionable in India." Legal experts suggest the judgment strengthens the position of trademark owners and may trigger a wave of disputes involving online advertising practices.
Global companies are leveraging artificial intelligence at their Indian hubs to significantly reduce advertising costs and bring creative work in-house. According to reports from Reuters, Kimberly-Clark India head Deena Dayalan revealed that content creation time has been cut from 24 days to just two hours using AI tools. The company has developed an India-built AI platform that helps identify suitable influencers and localize campaigns across markets, demonstrating the transformative impact of AI on advertising operations. As reported at the Reuters summit in Bengaluru, content creation two years back took 24 days but now "only takes two hours" due to AI technology. This dramatic reduction in turnaround time is enabling major advertisers to bring more creative work in-house while reducing their reliance on external agencies.
Multiple global brands are implementing AI across marketing functions at their Indian operations. As reported by Reuters, Catalyst Brands is piloting computer-generated product images and videos for online listings that can eliminate the need to ship inventory worldwide for photo shoots. Target India is using AI to help copywriters generate ads faster and respond more quickly to changing trends, with India President Andrea Zimmerman noting that business partners are seeing more value through this approach. The companies are using AI tools across various marketing functions including generating product images and videos, selecting influencers, and optimizing campaigns. Catalyst Brands India Managing Director Nihar Nidhi described Bangalore as being at the forefront of AI pilot programs, with the company very close to putting some AI prototypes into production. Copywriters at Roundel, Target's ad business, are using AI to generate ads faster and help the company respond more quickly to changing trends, with Zimmerman adding that AI was opening up opportunities in areas such as loyalty and personalization.
The adoption of AI in advertising is reshaping the industry as companies seek to rein in marketing costs. According to a Gartner survey of 405 senior marketing leaders, nearly all are now using AI to some extent, with investment in the technology accounting for more than 15% of marketing budgets and growing. As reported by Reuters, Gartner analyst Jay Wilson noted that rising AI use could pressure traditional agency models, while agencies that once competed on size and scale can no longer differentiate on that basis. The trend is particularly significant for major advertisers across industries from consumer goods to truck manufacturing, with AI's ability to speed up and scale campaign creation proving appealing as companies look to control marketing expenses. Wilson emphasized that "right now, we see a significant trend in building in-house agencies – partially driven by the promise of AI," highlighting how the technology is enabling companies to bring more advertising work in-house.
Despite the AI revolution, some analysts suggest the traditional agency model may sustain for certain clients. According to Madison and Wall CEO Brian Wieser, while mediocre work can be handled in-house, the question remains whether there is value in expertise. The industry faces a dual challenge of rising AI adoption and talent shortages that have hampered companies' efforts to bring more advertising work in-house. As reported by Reuters, Nihar Nidhi from Catalyst Brands described Bangalore as being at the forefront of AI pilot programs, with the company very close to putting some AI prototypes into production. Some analysts suggest that growing public distrust of AI and the specialization that ad agencies bring would ensure the traditional model sustains, especially for clients with large budgets. Wieser noted that "if mediocre is all you need, then absolutely you can do it yourself. But that's not where the money is anyways," emphasizing that strategic and creative thinking would be key differentiators going forward.
