Google has launched a suite of AI-powered advertising tools in India, following their U.S. debut in May. This expansion capitalized on the repeal of India’s 6% “Google tax” on digital advertisements, effective April, which made the market more appealing to global tech firms. The U.S. Trade Representative had criticized this levy as “discriminatory,” and its removal eases costs for companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon.
During its Marketing Live event in India, Google introduced tools such as “Generated for You” within Product Studio, which uses AI to create marketing content, and Smart Bidding Exploration for more qualified leads. New agentic capabilities in Google Ads and Analytics were also unveiled. “These agentic tools can learn from advertising inputs… to take the guesswork out of achieving business goals,” stated Dan Taylor, VP for Global Ads at Google. Google also brought AI Max for Search Campaigns, which helped Cashify increase conversions by 15% and reduce acquisition costs by 12% in early tests.
Further developments include ads appearing on AI Overviews in India later this year, and shoppable connected TV ads on YouTube. India’s digital ad market is projected to reach nearly $7 billion by 2025, growing over 20% year-over-year. “India is such a thriving digital ecosystem… that’s really the reason behind us getting these innovations to India faster,” said Roma Datta Chobey, MD of Digital Native Industries at Google India. Google confirmed Hindi language support for new features and introduced state-level audience filters for granular media planning.
