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GST 2.0 fuels festive momentum | Flipkart ad income jump | Govt. crackdown on AI-generated content
Storyboard18 brings you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing and business of brands.
According to industry estimates, the auto industry’s 2025 festive adex is expected to jump by 10%-15% over last year. (Image source: Moneycontrol)
Storyboard18 presents FAST FIVE ⬇
We bring you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing and business of brands.
GST 2.0 fuels festive momentum: Auto makers slash prices, EV push and two-wheeler benefits to drive 20% adex surge
India’s auto sector is shifting gears into the festive season with renewed optimism, buoyed by the Centre’s sweeping GST 2.0 reforms that have slashed tax rates across segments.
The move has not only triggered price cuts in luxury vehicles by up to ₹30 lakh but also made two-wheelers and farm machinery more affordable, while keeping the critical 5% GST on electric vehicles unchanged to accelerate the country’s clean mobility vision.
Amazon and Flipkart threaten Google-Meta's duopoly in India
Half of India’s festive advertising spends are now flowing into commerce media, led by Amazon and Flipkart. The two giants have turned into advertising powerhouses, with Amazon’s ad revenues touching Rs 6,649 crore in FY24 and Flipkart’s hitting Rs 4,972 crore.
Together, they pulled in Rs 11,621 crore (about $1.4 billion), a 33 percent jump year-on-year, underscoring how retail media has already crossed the billion-dollar mark in India and is rapidly reshaping the digital ad economy.
Flipkart’s ad income jumps 27% to Rs 6,317 crore in FY25
E-commerce giant Flipkart reported a strong performance in FY25, with advertising income rising 27% year-on-year and net losses shrinking by 37%. The Walmart-backed firm’s advertising revenue surged to Rs 6,317 crore, contributing 31% of its total revenue in FY25.
Flipkart’s net loss reduced from Rs 2,359 crore in FY24 to Rs 1,494 crore in FY25. The Bengaluru-based company’s overall revenue grew 14% to Rs 20,493 crore in FY25, up from Rs 17,907 crore the previous year.
India proposes mandatory labelling of AI-generated content to combat fake news
A parliamentary committee in India has recommended new regulations that could make it compulsory for creators to label all artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content.
The panel has also proposed licensing requirements for AI creators, aiming to curb the rapid spread of fake news produced by AI tools and to help the public differentiate between genuine and fabricated material.
India's consumer giants drop prices as GST cuts take effect
In a major move to pass on tax benefits to consumers, India’s top consumer goods companies, including Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Procter & Gamble (P&G), and L’Oréal, are slashing prices on a range of household essentials.
The price drops follow a decision by the GST Council to lower the Goods and Services Tax on numerous fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), a change that becomes effective on September 22.
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