From mass TV to regional screens, why CTV is now a sharper media play: Russhabh Thakkar
At Pitch BFSI Summit, Russhabh R Thakkar, Founder and CEO of Frodoh, explored the shifts in the CTV ecosystem
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Published: Sep 25, 2026 11:28 AM | 4 min read
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- India's connected TV (CTV) audience has surpassed 200 million, transforming advertising strategies from mass reach to precise, measurable targeting, particularly through regional streaming platforms.
- Russhabh R Thakkar, CEO of Frodoh, emphasized that the next phase of CTV growth will be driven by regional ecosystems and the ability to target audiences more effectively than traditional television.
- Frodoh has developed a CTV planning and analytics platform that provides insights on audience behavior and campaign performance, enabling brands, especially in the BFSI sector, to engage in targeted communication.
- The rise of regional OTT platforms and innovative advertising formats is creating new opportunities for brands, allowing for more accountable and effective advertising strategies in the evolving media landscape.
India’s connected TV (CTV) audience has crossed the 200-million mark, fundamentally changing how brands approach the large screen. What was once a mass-reach television medium is now becoming a more precise, measurable and regional advertising opportunity.
Speaking at the Pitch BFSI Summit in Mumbai on Wednesday, Russhabh R Thakkar, Founder and CEO of Frodoh, said the next phase of CTV growth in India will be driven not just by premium OTT platforms, but by regional streaming ecosystems that are bringing both scale and sharper audience targeting.
Thakkar traced Frodoh’s journey in the category to 2021, when the company identified connected TV as a distinct advertising medium as Indian households increasingly shifted to smart TVs and streaming devices. “Watching YouTube on TV became a luxury, and that is where we saw the opportunity,” he said.
The latest Ormax Media data estimates India’s CTV audience at 206.9 million in 2026, up 60% from 129.2 million in 2025.
According to Thakkar, the CTV ecosystem today extends beyond mainstream OTT apps to include device manufacturers such as Samsung, LG and Google TV, FAST channels and a growing set of regional platforms that are helping brands reach audiences who are becoming harder to access through traditional television.
The shift, he said, is also changing how media buying is done. Unlike linear television, where planning has traditionally revolved around GRPs and time bands, CTV allows marketers to understand where ads are running, at what time, which content audiences are consuming and which consumer cohorts are responding.
“Connected TV was bought in a very line-item fashion. But there is a lot of depth to the planning that can be done on digital because it was always supposed to be more measurable,” Thakkar said.
Frodoh has developed a CTV planning and analytics platform that allows marketers to track campaign performance beyond reach and impressions, providing insights on audience segments, viewing patterns and optimisation opportunities in real time.
For BFSI brands, this level of precision becomes particularly relevant. Financial products often require targeted communication rather than broad visibility, making audience-led planning and contextual advertising increasingly important.
A key theme of Thakkar’s session was the role of regional OTT platforms in driving scale. While national streaming platforms and YouTube continue to command large audiences, regional services are emerging as an effective route to consumers in specific markets.
“If it is Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, it becomes imperative to look at local platforms. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, it is aha. Chopal is a strong platform in Punjab, while Stage is seeing significant traction,” he said.
Frodoh has partnered with several regional OTT platforms that traditionally operated on subscription models, enabling non-intrusive advertising formats within these ecosystems.
The company is also attempting to make CTV more accountable through measurement tools. Thakkar spoke about “CTV Verified Visits”, a product that maps television ad exposure with subsequent online activity by matching searches or website visits originating from the same household IP.
“If someone searches for a brand after seeing a communication on TV, marketers can understand the organic impact of that campaign,” he said.
Another capability involves retargeting consumers who have already shown interest in a product online and reaching them again through CTV, enabling sequential storytelling across devices.
“The sequential communication can come into play. If someone has shown interest in a car, for example, the next message can encourage a test drive or a visit to the nearest dealer,” Thakkar explained.
He also highlighted how CTV strategies can be aligned with distribution objectives. Brands can target specific geographies, serviceable pin codes and even different screen sizes depending on whether the focus is general trade, modern trade or impulse purchases.
The rise of microdramas and snackable content is also opening up new opportunities for brands to create their own narratives within safe and premium environments rather than relying solely on conventional pre-roll and mid-roll formats.
“CTV as a medium has already arrived. Advertisers who began testing it in 2025 are now seeing it as an imperative choice,” Thakkar said.
He concluded with a message for marketers navigating the evolving media landscape: “The only question is whether you are buying with the right precision or just buying impressions.”
As connected television expands beyond metros into regional India, the ability to combine scale, local relevance, measurement and audience intelligence could determine the next phase of growth for both advertisers and OTT platforms.
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Frodoh CEO Russhabh Thakkar
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BFSI advertising strategies
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CTV Verified Visits product
Regional OTT platforms advertising