India’s media and entertainment market is set to grow nearly twice as fast as the global industry over the next five years, driven by digital advertising, over-the-top (OTT) video, gaming and technology-led monetisation, consultancy firm PwC India said on Thursday.
The market is projected to reach $36.7 billion by 2030 from $25.7 billion in 2025, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4%, compared with 4% globally. The India findings are part of PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2026-2030.
PwC said the convergence of content, connectivity and technology will underpin the next phase of growth. Digital ecosystems, regional programming and new revenue models are enabling media companies to deepen engagement and monetize audiences across platforms.
“India has already demonstrated its ability to build audience scale. The next phase is about converting that engagement into sustainable value. AI is beginning to improve how content is created, discovered, and personalised, while regional storytelling and premium experiences are creating new ways to deepen engagement and monetisation,” said Rajesh Sethi, partner and leader—media, entertainment and sports, PwC India.
Digital advertising leads growth
Internet advertising is expected to be among the biggest contributors to incremental industry revenue, nearly doubling from $7.5 billion in 2025 to $14.3 billion by 2030, a 13.9% CAGR. Search and video advertising are expected to drive much of the expansion.
India’s OTT market is projected to grow from $2.2 billion to $3.6 billion over the same period, a 10.2% CAGR. Streaming platforms are increasingly shifting from subscriber acquisition to monetization, with lower-priced, mobile-only and advertising-supported plans complementing subscriptions.
PwC said platforms are also looking beyond conventional advertising and subscriptions towards intent-based advertising, intelligent data warehouses and tools that offer better insights into audience behaviour. AI, meanwhile, is moving beyond editing and visual effects to become a broader tool for value creation.
Gaming, connectivity add momentum
Video games and e-sports revenue is expected to rise from $1.5 billion in 2025 to $2.6 billion by 2030, an 11.3% CAGR. In-game advertising, sponsorships and recurring revenue models are expected to play a larger role in monetizing engagement.
Data connectivity revenue is projected to grow from $36.5 billion to $58.6 billion, a 9.9% CAGR, supported by mobile, broadband, fibre and 5G adoption.
Traditional media stays resilient
Growth is not confined to digital media. Traditional television revenue is expected to rise from $7.2 billion in 2025 to $7.5 billion by 2030, while newspaper revenue is projected to increase from $3 billion to $3.5 billion.
PwC attributed the resilience to regional audiences, advertiser demand, trusted brands and deeper integration between traditional and digital channels.
Consumers are also showing greater willingness to pay for differentiated experiences in cinema, music and sports. Premium ticketing, hospitality and formats such as IMAX and 4DX are creating additional revenue pools by increasing spend per consumer.
For media companies, the next phase will be less about audience scale and more about monetising engagement through technology, data and differentiated content.