Platforms to see budgets move away: Publicis Media's Anil Pandit on DPDP & data economy

India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act is set to trigger one of the biggest structural resets the country’s digital economy has ever seen. As organisations move from broad awareness to implementation mode, the next 12 to 18 months will redefine how data is collected, processed, activated and measured across the entire advertising and marketing ecosystem. 

With stricter rules around consent provenance, data minimisation, retention, children’s data and cross-border transfers, industry players are preparing for a phase of rapid compliance realignment and operational rewiring. The impact will not be uniform. High-intensity data sectors such as mobile apps, gaming, EdTech, ad-tech and D2C will experience the earliest and most significant changes, while BFSI will face deeper consent governance on marketing data. 

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Meanwhile, programmatic platforms, CRM systems, measurement frameworks and vendor contracts are already under scrutiny as the industry prepares for a consent-led digital economy. Amid this shift, marketers, publishers, platforms and consumers will all navigate a mix of short-term disruptions and long-term strategic gains.

In a conversation with exchange4media, Anil Pandit, Managing Partner, Data Strategy and Partnerships, Publicis Media India, breaks down what lies ahead. He explains the near-term disruptions marketers should expect, the sectors that will feel the earliest impact, who stands to gain or lose, how media sales and addressability will evolve, and why privacy-led workflows may soon become a competitive advantage rather than a compliance burden and more.

Why is the DPDP Act forcing a digital marketing reset. Read here

Edited excerpts: 

In the immediate future, as the industry prepares for full enforcement, what concrete shifts do you foresee the DPDP Act triggering across the digital advertising and marketing ecosystem?

Over the next twelve to eighteen months, the digital ecosystem is expected to witness significant shifts. Organisations will undertake rapid audit of all data flows, including tags, pixels, CRM fields and identity graphs, in order to map consent provenance and purpose limitation. Given that rules emphasise data minimisation, retention and security, any data that does not have clear consent or purpose documentation will need to be paused or removed. This means marketing and ad-tech stacks may see a temporary reduction in scale. Vendors, platforms and supply chains will face heightened scrutiny with contracts, data processing agreements and cross-border arrangements being rewritten to meet fiduciary accountability requirements. 

Additionally, consumer trust will become a visible competitive factor as rights such as access, correction and erasure become mainstream. As a result, the focus will move from simple compliance towards a broader transformation in how data is activated and monetised across the ecosystem.  

Given the diversity of India’s digital economy, which sectors do you expect will feel the impact of the DPDP Act first?

Some sectors will experience the effects earlier than others. Mobile apps, gaming and EdTechwill be amongst the first to be impacted since the Act places stricter restrictions on the handling of children’s data and behavioural targeting of minors. Ad-tech and programmatic platforms will undergo substantial re-engineering, since consent provenance, pixel governance and cross-border data flows require closer control. 

Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands, which depend heavily on CRM and first-party data, will need to validate consent, obtain fresh consent for historical data and apply stricter retention and deletion rules. Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) organisations, already accustomed to handling sensitive information, will need to strengthen consent mechanisms for marketing data as well. In contrast, traditional media businesses may not experience immediate disruption, although changes in measurement, attribution and addressability will eventually influence them.  

As the DPDP Act begins to reshape data practices across the ecosystem, who do you believe will emerge as the early winners and losers?

Entities that rely on indiscriminate third-party data, opaque identity graphs or pre-consent pixel-firing are likely to face the most challenges given consent provenance is imminent. Ad-tech firms with weak consent governance and platforms that fail to pivot risk budget flight may also see budgets move away from their platforms. 

However, on the positive side, brands and agencies that already prioritise first-party data, privacy-safe measurement and transparent consent systems will be well placed to benefit from higher-quality audiences. Vendors that offer compliance-focused tools such as consent managers and tag governance systems are likely to gain preference. Consumers will ultimately benefit through greater clarity and control over how their data is used, which strengthens trust and long-term engagement.  

How will DPDP influence media sales, demand generation and audience addressability?

Media sales will evolve as consent-compliant audiences begin to command premium value, while non-compliant pools may be discounted or restricted. Demand-generation journeys will need restructuring so that consent capture and purpose articulation are placed at the fore of every interaction. Marketers may face short-term reductions in reach but will gain better quality over time. Audience addressability will shift from broad third-party identifiers to privacy-preserving clean rooms, first-party segments and consent-flagged cohorts. Measurement will rely more on local, audit-ready systems that align with the Act’s requirements.  

There is a widespread concern that the DPDP Act will shrink marketing reach, at least in the early phases of implementation. Will marketers ultimately benefit or lose reach?

In the immediate term, marketers may lose some reach as activation slows and compliance-related clean-ups take place. However, the long-term benefits are considerable. Cleaner data, stronger consumer trust, improved conversion rates and more resilient measurement systems will help brands navigate a post-cookie environment with greater confidence. What initially appears to be a compliance cost will eventually deliver strategic advantages.  

Given how deeply the advertising ecosystem relies on data-driven planning, do you anticipate the DPDP Act materially affecting ad expenditure patterns, programme-based media buying, or CRM-led performance funnels?

The Act is likely to influence all of these areas. Media budgets may shift away from inventory that doesn’t have user consent, and audiences with verified consent may become more expensive to reach. Programmatic platforms will need to prove where and how consent was obtained for the inventory they use. CRM will become more central, as brands rely more on first-party data, consented lookalike audiences, and their own audience assets. Measurement-related investment will also increase, with more spending on data engineering, clean rooms, privacy tools, and contract updates. 

As companies transition from policy interpretation to on-ground implementation, what specific workflow and operational changes do you foresee across the industry over the next 12–18 months?

The path forward includes mapping data ecosystems, pausing risky legacy data flows, strengthening consent-led measurement, rebuilding vendor systems and positioning privacy as a competitive advantage. This is a defining moment for responsible marketing, and Publicis Media India is committed to partnering with clients through this monumental transformation.