The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has released its Annual Complaints Report for 2024–2025, highlighting a significant spike in advertising violations across multiple sectors. ASCI processed 9,599 complaints and reviewed 7,199 advertisements, with 98% requiring some form of modification.
Offshore betting emerged as the most violative category, accounting for 43% of total infractions. Realty followed at 24.9%, with personal care (5.7%), healthcare (5.23%), and food & beverage (4.69%) also making the list. Notably, 3,347 ads fell into legally prohibited categories, including:
- 3,081 ads promoting illegal offshore betting platforms
- 318 influencer ads endorsing these platforms
- 233 ads potentially violating the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act
- 21 ads promoting alcohol brands
- 12 ads involving unauthorized forex apps banned by the RBI
ASCI flagged 1,015 influencer ads, with 98% requiring changes. Notably, 121 violations were detected on LinkedIn, where professionals failed to disclose paid partnerships, prompting ASCI to issue a platform-specific advisory.
Proactive monitoring drove 89% of ASCI’s enforcement, while 11% stemmed from public complaints—659 ads, marking an 83.5% year-on-year increase. The digital medium accounted for 94.4% of violations, followed by TV (2.6%) and print (2.4%). ASCI also tracked violations using social media tags flagged by consumers.
Manisha Kapoor, CEO & Secretary General, ASCI, stated:
“Our efforts this year focused on high-impact sectors like offshore betting and real estate, reinforcing ASCI’s mission of responsible advertising.”
Partha Sinha, Chairman, ASCI, added:
“In today’s digital chaos, ASCI ensures the consumer isn’t the punchline. Rising public engagement shows that trust still matters.”
