Unified data platforms: Harmonising India's fragmented adtech space with AI

As Indian consumers become increasingly digitised, they are leaving behind their digital fingerprints everywhere. And we're not talking about (only) cookies. Details like names, demographics, purchases, content preferences, and more are littering the landscape, though they are scattered far and wide from Google and Meta to Amazon and Flipkart to Hotstar and JioCinema. The need of the hour is to collate these elements into a cohesive and unified data stack so marketers can help advertisers make the best decisions for their consumers. All with a little help from new AI capabilities.

Data is indeed the new oil, and is driving decision-making. Indian marketing agencies and adtech platforms are increasingly turning to unified data platforms powered by Artificial Intelligence to deliver superior results for their brand clients. This shift comes as open-source AI models democratize access to advanced capabilities while costs continue to decrease.

“With each new release, the capabilities of AI models are increasing, while the cost of these models is decreasing. Open-source models like Llama have democratized access to large language models (LLMs), enabling anyone with coding skills and computational resources to tackle complex problems,” explains Vaibhav Velhankar, Chief Technology Officer at Segumento.

The impact of this transformation is significant, with the AI market in programmatic advertising projected to reach $38.7 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual rate of nearly 30%. According to Mohd Saqib Khan, co-founder and CEO of DigiXpressions, this growth reflects a fundamental shift in the industry, with 80% of programmatic advertisers intensifying their AI usage, leading to improvement in conversion rates by up to 30%.

“The ad tech and digital marketing era are undergoing a seismic shift. With open-source AI models rapidly evolving, advertising agencies and ad-tech platforms are seizing the opportunity to unify data stacks,” says Khan. “In this new paradigm, data from giants like Google, Meta, and Amazon converge into a single, powerful view, transforming fragmented insights into one cohesive and actionable strategy.”

The transition to unified data platforms isn't just about consolidation – it's about creating a foundation for more sophisticated customer engagement. Velhankar emphasizes that while AI modeling is becoming more accessible, success hinges on data quality. “This is where Adtech platforms and agencies are focusing on consolidating their data stacks and investing in technologies like Customer Data Platforms (CDPs), data lakes, and clean rooms,” he notes.

Some agencies are already seeing remarkable results from implementing these unified approaches. Ajay Verma, Managing Partner at 0101. Today, shares his company's experience with their proprietary tool, 3rdi: “It unifies, cross-pollinates data between different platforms and provides AI-based recommendation on not just where to run the ads but also gives creative fatigue index.”

However, the transition isn't without its challenges. Verma points out that some clients show resistance when they see higher cost-per-click (CPC) metrics, even though the overall cost per conversion is lower. “We have seen resistance from a few clients as deployment of these strategies leads to CPC being higher but the cost of conversion is considerably lower. And the question is do the clients have this level of maturity to deploy, experiment and gain from this,” he explains.

Agreeing that building unified data stacks comes with its own challenges, Rohit Srivastava, Director of Engineering, MiQ, says data privacy laws such as GDPR and CCPA create much needed boundaries on how personal information can be used, demanding careful consideration in compliance. “Technical hurdles also exist, as integrating data from different sources with varying formats requires robust infrastructure and data governance frameworks.”

“Despite these obstacles, the push toward data unification is accelerating as companies recognize its potential to deliver superior insights, streamline operations, and maximize return on investment. The focus is on creating privacy-compliant solutions that ensure data security while enhancing ad personalisation and decision-making,” adds Srivastava. As a result, unified data stacks are becoming a key strategic asset for advertisers in the rapidly evolving AdTech landscape.

Indeed, the benefits of unified data platforms extend beyond mere efficiency gains. Khan emphasizes that real-time analytics are becoming crucial for capturing shifting consumer behavior and enabling quick campaign modifications. “One can simply imagine a doubling of engagement rates in weeks or adjusting the campaigns instantly on the back of fresh insights from AI-enhanced analytics,” he says.

Looking ahead, the industry appears poised for continued evolution. Tools like 0101's 3rdi are leveraging ‘AI-Powered Interoperability’ to analyze patterns across disparate datasets, providing insights into customer behavior without requiring direct platform integration. Combined with predictive analytics , data enrichment, hyper-local insights, and third-party data partnerships, these solutions are helping agencies deliver more precise targeting and improved conversions at reduced costs.

“A unified data layer that can seamlessly ingest data, store it at scale, connect with external sources in a privacy-first manner, and make it available for analysis, insights, and predictions will help agencies and advertisers build a 360-degree customer view and achieve higher ROI on marketing spends,” concludes Velhankar.

As the industry continues to mature, unified data platforms powered by AI aren't just reshaping how agencies approach marketing – they're fundamentally transforming the way brands connect with their customers. In this new landscape, the ability to harness and analyze data across platforms isn't just a competitive advantage – it's becoming an essential foundation for success in digital marketing.