OpenAI joins Flipkart, Amazon and Reliance among India’s leading digital advertisers

India’s digital ad market is widening beyond e-commerce as AI companies increase brand spending. OpenAI held a 3% share of digital ad impressions in January-July 2026, alongside Flipkart, while Amazon Online India and Reliance Retail each held 2%, Mint reported.

— Source publishedThu, 24 Sept, 2026, 16:24 IST·First seen Thu, 24 Sept, 2026, 16:27 IST·Source Mint · Industry

What happened

India’s digital ad market is broadening beyond e-commerce, with AI firms including OpenAI becoming major advertisers. Flipkart, Amazon and Reliance Retail

Key facts

  • Digital advertising impressions rose 44% year-on-year in January-July 2026
  • Services accounted for 47% of digital ad impressions
  • Ecom-Other Services had a 10% share of digital ad impressions
  • Software advertising rose 51%
  • Real estate advertising grew 90%
  • Travel and tourism advertising grew 71%
  • Clothing, textiles and fashion advertising grew 39%
  • More than 111,000 advertisers were exclusive to digital
  • Adobe Software India accounted for 4% of impressions
  • Flipkart and OpenAI accounted for 3% each
  • Amazon Online India and Reliance Retail accounted for 2% each
  • OpenAI said India had more than 100 million weekly ChatGPT users
  • OpenAI initially worked with more than 50 brands for ChatGPT ads in India
  • WPP Media expects intelligence-led formats to grow 8% in India in 2026
  • Digital is projected to account for 68.1% of total Indian ad revenue

Why this matters

The convergence of AI and retail advertising creates partnership and acquisition opportunities in Indian ad-tech, commerce media and AI-powered creative or measurement capabilities.

What to watch

  • Monthly impression-share persistence for OpenAI and emergence of other AI advertisers in top-spender rankings.
  • Growth in AI-related keywords, app-install campaigns and regional-language creative across Google, Meta, YouTube and OTT inventory.
  • AI subscription partnerships with Indian telecoms, handset makers, banks, universities or retail platforms.
  • Changes in CPMs and cost-per-install metrics in high-intent audience segments.
  • Retail-media ad-revenue disclosures and new sponsored AI-related search or category placements from Amazon, Flipkart and Reliance.
  • India policy developments on AI, data use, consumer protection and advertising disclosures.
  • OpenAI and competing AI platforms increase India-specific creative, regional-language campaigns and student/SMB acquisition offers.
  • Amazon, Flipkart and Reliance Retail expand retail-media pitches to AI, software, electronics and telecom advertisers.
  • Consumer-electronics retailers bundle AI subscriptions, devices, cloud storage and financing offers around back-to-school and festive periods.
  • Publishers and ad platforms raise rates for premium technology, finance, education and professional-audience inventory as AI demand lifts auction competition.
  • Telecom operators, payment apps and device brands pursue co-marketing arrangements with AI companies to reduce acquisition costs and differentiate service plans.