75% of Indian B2B marketers say sales cycles getting longer: LinkedIn

Amid shrinking budgets and rising pressure to drive growth, Indian B2B brands are finding it increasingly challenging to close deals. A new LinkedIn report reveals that 75% of B2B marketers in India say purchase decisions and sales cycles are taking longer.

To counter this slowdown, brands are leaning on upper-funnel strategies such as emotionally engaging ads, branded events, and video content powered by credible voices to influence decision-makers and accelerate conversions.

According to LinkedIn, targeted audiences deliver a 10% lift in conversion, while brand-building content boosts lead-generation effectiveness by 1.4x. Notably, 88% of marketers believe that winning audience trust is now as important as maximizing reach.

The report noted that trusted brands that spark conversation and build awareness convert more leads. Events are emerging as a critical tool-- 97% of B2B marketers say online events are highly effective in securing direct sales, followed by in-person events (95%).

“As buyer groups expand and scrutiny tightens, full-funnel integration has become India’s most dependable path to B2B growth,” said Sachin Sharma, Director, Marketing Solutions, LinkedIn India. “When trust, relevance, and action reinforce each other, outcomes compound.”

The findings are based on a survey of 7,000 B2B marketers globally.