By Abhijeet Rajpurohit
Not so long ago, owning a “colour TV” was a status symbol in Indian households — a marker of technological progress and modern entertainment. But just as colour became the default, the terminology faded away. What remained constant was the television’s uncanny ability to evolve with its audience.
Today, that evolution has reached its most transformative chapter. Televisions are no longer passive rectangles mounted on our walls. They have become intelligent, connected interfaces — personalised ecosystems that sit at the centre of a household’s entertainment life. With Smart TVs now dominating the market, Connected TV (CTV) has become the new norm, reshaping how India consumes content.
This shift has been fuelled by intentional consumer choices, dynamic viewing patterns, and a culture that prioritises on-demand convenience. Viewers no longer wait for broadcast schedules — they curate their own entertainment in real time. As a result, the definition of engagement itself has changed.
India’s rapid Smart TV adoption has created a natural pathway for CTV to flourish. And as audiences migrated to connected screens, advertisers quickly followed. CTV advertising emerged as a powerful new medium — interactive, measurable and highly personalised compared to traditional TV. From print to digital to connected screens, brand visibility has entered a new frontier where relevance and recall are built through immersion, not interruption.
At the heart of this ecosystem lies another significant opportunity: OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) advertising. Unlike traditional ads, OEM advertising is embedded directly into the Smart TV’s operating system, placing brands at the centre of the user’s natural viewing journey. This is where the concept of “first-impact” attention becomes critical. When users turn on their TV, they are not scrolling — they are focused, ready to watch, and receptive.
OEM placements — home screen banners, high-visibility cards, screensavers, and FAST (Free Ad-Supported TV) channels — tap into this high-intent moment. Instead of disrupting content, they integrate seamlessly into the browsing experience. The result? Maximum visibility with minimal intrusion. In an era where attention spans are fragmented across devices, this is the value CTV uniquely offers.
(The author is the COO and Co-Founder of CloudTV.)
