India Market · Regional Markets

Gujarat and Rajasthan CTV market: western India streaming and ad opportunities

Gujarat and Rajasthan together represent one of India's largest and wealthiest regional consumer markets. Gujarat's high per-capita income and strong business class make it a premium CTV advertising environment; Rajasthan's large geographic size and growing tier 2 city economy make it a volume market. Both states have distinct language identities (Gujarati, Rajasthani/Hindi) that shape content consumption on CTV.

Gujarat CTV profile

Gujarat is one of India's most commercially significant states for advertisers:

  • GDP and income: Gujarat consistently ranks in the top 3 states by GSDP; per-capita income is above national average, making it a high-value audience for premium product categories
  • CTV households: Estimated 6–8 million connected TV households (2025), with Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodara contributing the majority
  • Content preferences: Gujarati-language content appetite is high for drama serials and films; Hindi content is widely consumed, especially in business/trade communities; English content consumption is above national average in Ahmedabad/Surat urban audiences
  • Business community: Gujarat's large trader and business owner community is an important demographic for financial services, B2B, and premium consumer brands on CTV

Rajasthan CTV profile

Rajasthan is geographically India's largest state, with a CTV market concentrated in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, and Udaipur:

  • CTV households: Estimated 5–7 million connected TV households (2025); penetration lower than Gujarat due to rural spread
  • Language: Hindi is the dominant content language; Rajasthani-specific language content on streaming platforms is minimal; regional culture (Rajasthani folk, devotional content) has a niche streaming presence
  • Jaipur metro: A growing IT/services city with a younger, more digitally engaged audience on CTV
  • Rural Rajasthan: Large rural population; smart TV penetration is growing but slower than urban areas; connectivity quality is a constraint in desert/arid zone districts

Gujarati-language content on CTV

The Gujarati content ecosystem on streaming is better developed than Rajasthani/Hindi regional content:

PlatformGujarati contentCTV availability
Zee5Zee Gujarati catch-up, Gujarati films, regional dramasAndroid TV, Samsung, LG, Fire TV
JioHotstarStar Plus Gujarati content, some Gujarati filmsAll major smart TV platforms
MX PlayerGujarati films, short contentAndroid TV, Fire TV
Shemaroo MeGujarati films, bhajan/devotional content; Shemaroo is strong in Gujarati film archiveAndroid TV, Fire TV; limited smart TV coverage

Shemaroo is notable for its Gujarati film archive and devotional content — content categories that over-index with the Gujarat audience. However, Shemaroo Me's CTV app coverage is narrower than the major platforms.

Buying western India CTV inventory

Geographic targeting: Gujarat and Rajasthan state-level targeting is supported by all major DSPs. City-level targeting (Ahmedabad, Surat, Jaipur, Jodhpur) is available. Smaller cities and rural areas have thinner data coverage, so geographic targeting in tier 3 and rural areas carries higher uncertainty.

Language content targeting: Gujarati-language content targeting is available on Zee5 and JioHotstar, providing a clean reach mechanism for the core Gujarati linguistic audience. For Rajasthan, Hindi-language content targeting captures the majority of the market.

CPM benchmarks (western India): Gujarat CPMs typically run at or above national average for open programmatic (₹200–₹450 for standard AVOD) due to higher advertiser competition for the premium Gujarat consumer. Rajasthan open exchange CPMs are at or slightly below national average (₹180–₹400) with lower competition outside Jaipur metro.

Festive season impact: Gujarat's festive calendar (Navratri, Diwali, Uttarayan) creates demand spikes in CTV ad spend from local and national advertisers. Navratri is particularly significant — Gujarati garba culture drives high TV and streaming viewership in October that advertisers can align with.

Relevant advertiser categories for western India CTV

  • Jewellery and gold: Gujarat is India's diamond and jewellery hub. Jewellery brands (national and local) are among the heaviest CTV advertisers in Gujarat, especially around festive seasons.
  • Financial services: Gujarat's strong business and trading community has high demand for insurance, mutual funds, and business banking products.
  • FMCG — premium segment: Higher per-capita income in Gujarat supports premium FMCG categories (premium FMCG, health products, premium personal care).
  • Auto — two-wheelers and entry SUVs: Rajasthan is a significant two-wheeler market; Gujarat is growing in the SUV category with rising incomes.
  • Tourism: Rajasthan's tourism-dependent economy (domestic and international) drives advertising by travel brands, hotels, and state tourism boards targeting urban Indian audiences on CTV.