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At e4m TechManch 2025, Maruti Indoria, Vice President at Times Network, delivered a sharp and timely session on navigating the complexities of digital disruption. Addressing a room full of marketers and media professionals, Indoria focused on how premium targeting, effective content placement, and a recalibrated media mix can help brands thrive in today’s fast-evolving ecosystem.
He opened the session on a light note, saying, “Yes, you heard the name right. It's Maruti Indoria. It's a combination of a well-known auto brand and a kind of upcoming developing city.”
Indoria quickly moved to the core of his presentation, noting that despite changes in how content is consumed, TV remains a stronghold in the media mix.
Indoria said that while media platforms are constantly evolving, television continues to evolve as well. Representing the Times Group's TV network, he emphasised that TV still remains the preferred medium for content consumption. “TV remains definitely the preferred medium of content consumption,” he said.
However, he acknowledged the seismic shift in consumption behavior. From appointment-based viewing, audiences have now moved to content on demand. “We used to consume our content wherever we had free time, but now we have decided our time. This is my time and this is how I'm consuming content,” he noted.
The proliferation of connected devices has made content consumption more personal and mobile-driven. “From a shared screen… to a kind of personal viewing which has gone from one screen to millions of mobile screens,” Indoria added.
Indoria stressed that live content, especially news and sports, continues to be a high-impact format in the digital mix. “The real-time and the live content is of high demand whether it is news content or sports content,” he said.
This type of content naturally increases time spent and reduces ad-skipping, which in turn enhances brand recall.
“I have chosen this time and this news is relevant for me. So the time spent is increasing and that drives real-time influence. Ads are not skipped. More than that, they are watched,” he explained.
He also addressed one of the biggest pain points in digital advertising—low engagement caused by ad blockers and skipped ads. “We always wait for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and we skip the ad, leading to lower brand recall. That’s where we lose the communication,” Indoria said.
He pointed out that conventional ad formats are struggling, making it imperative to rethink how brands reach audiences. “Traditional ads don’t work at all. Customers pay for the relevant and seamless experiences,” he said.
To address this, Times Network has built its own Customer Data Platform to facilitate intelligent targeting based on audience geography, intent, and behavior. “We know our audiences, who are from which area and from basic targeting to advanced targeting of intent and behavior,” Indoria shared.
He added that the network offers live brand integrations across its shows, opening up non-skippable and high-impact opportunities for advertisers.
The data, he said, speaks for itself. Times Network garners over 2.5 billion video views each month with 140 million plus monthly active users and a monthly reach of over 160 million.
“Times Now Hindi is the leading YouTube channel in the Hindi business news cluster, while ET Now English is the fastest-growing platform in English business news,” he added. According to Indoria, this growth has been driven not just by quantity but by relevant and quality content tailored for evolving audience needs.
Indoria summed up the network’s value proposition as one that goes beyond traditional advertising. “With us, you don’t just advertise. You influence your customer, engage with them and ultimately convert,” he said.
He also outlined Times Network’s suite of intellectual properties that support this strategy, such as the ET Now Business Conclave, India Health Summit, Real Estate IP, Times Drive, and the flagship Zero-One Awards hosted by Digit.in.
Indoria’s session made a clear case for brands to rethink the way they engage with premium audiences. By aligning content formats, targeting mechanisms, and platform strategies to modern viewing behaviors, he argued, marketers can cut through the clutter and drive meaningful impact.
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