Posted by New Delhi: India has emerged as a key driver of growth in mobile app advertising, according to new research from AI performance advertising company Moloco. The report reveals that advertisers who diversify beyond Google and Meta are seeing financial returns increase as high as 214%-.
The study, Performance Through Independence: UnlockingIncremental App Growth Beyond Google and Meta, highlights the disconnect between advertising spend and user attention. While global mobile app revenue rose by 25% in 2024 to reach $70.5 billion, 88% of mobile app advertising budgets remained concentrated on Google and Meta.
This imbalance suggests that many advertisers are missing out on reaching users where they actually spend time — across a broader range of mobile apps.
“India is one of the fastest-growing mobile app markets globally, and our data clearly shows a dramatic shift in user behaviour—particularly the explosive rise of generative AI usage and the continued strength of gaming,” said Siddharth Jhawar, Country Manager – Moloco India.
India’s growth is being driven by rapid increases in time spent on apps. Between 2023 and 2024, Indian users logged an additional 68 billion hours on entertainment apps. Gaming now accounts for 34% of total app time, up 11% year-on-year. Generative AI apps have also surged, growing by 669% — the fastest growth rate globally.
“Too many advertisers are still over-indexing on Google and Meta. But the biggest returns we are seeing are happening outside big tech,” said Tom Shadbolt, Senior Insights Manager – Moloco.
The findings reflect a shift in user behaviour across emerging markets, with India, South Africa and the Philippines seeing significant increases in mobile app usage. In contrast, growth has slowed in more mature markets such as the United States and United Kingdom.
Moloco’s research concludes that for brands to capture long-term value, they must rethink their mobile app advertising strategies by investing across the wider independent app ecosystem, where user engagement continues to grow.