Bridging the demand-supply gap for premium inventory in Gujarat: Way ahead

At Gujarat Talks OOH 2026, held at Hyatt, Ahmedabad, a panel of leading media owners and a real estate advertiser came together to discuss “Premium Inventory: Is there a demand-supply mismatch?” 

Moderated by Deepa Gupta, Senior Vice President, MOMS Outdoor, the panel brought together Sharvil Shridhar, MD of A. Shridhar Group; Hrushi Mehta, Director of Chitra Publicity; Shaishav Mehta, Director & Owner of Chitra (B) Publicity; and Vishal Shah, MD of Shah Publicity. 

The panelists explored what makes an outdoor site premium, whether Ahmedabad has enough high-impact inventory to meet growing advertiser demand, and how media owners can create better opportunities through site development, aesthetics and innovation. The discussion also brought the advertiser’s perspective into focus, particularly around rising campaign costs, visibility and the need to measure the impact of outdoor advertising. 

A city in motion 

The conversation opened with the city itself. Shaishav Mehta, Director & Owner of Chitra (B) Publicity, set the tone by pointing to Ahmedabad’s rapid development and growth over the years, the backdrop for everything that followed. 

Hrushi Mehta, Director of Chitra Publicity, built on that. New bridges and roads are transforming the city, he said, and some established sites are being affected along the way. Because Gujarat has such a strong appetite for consumption, scarcity is a permanent feature of the market. Hrushi said, “When a client comes with 300-400 big formats, only about 100 sites will actually be available.” 

But he reframed the problem. The shortage, in his view, is partly about how clients define ‘premium’. Bus shelters, kiosks and cutouts all offer room for innovation, so a campaign does not have to depend on big hoardings alone. 

Vishal Shah, MD of Shah Publicity, described Ahmedabad as a city growing ‘layer upon layer’, from the Old City to the new, and extending out to the ring roads. Since people commute in and out every day, advertisers need many points to cover them all, he said, while identifying the real risk as the oversupply of ordinary sites rather than a shortage of premium ones. “There is no limitation. Today in Ahmedabad someone can put up 200 sites, and not every site is going to deliver,” he pointed out.  

What is premium, anyway? 

Media owners agreed that premium means different things to different buyers. Shaishav explained that every category and every campaign has its own segment and price point, and “premium” is “whatever works within them”. 

Then came the buyer’s view. Sharvil Shridhar started with the cost pressure. He said, “Two years ago we were spending about Rs 40-50 lakhs. Today we have to spend close to Rs 1.5 to 2 crores to get the same visibility as before.” Much of the inventory, he explained, is booked for long periods, so brands often need two or three hoardings to cover the same area as before.  

His checklist for a premium site was clear. “A hoarding that is not cluttered. Neatly maintained, with a good ACP frame and well lit. Size is secondary,” he explained.  

Can outdoor advertising become more measurable? 

Another important point raised during the discussion was the need for better measurement of outdoor campaigns. While digital campaigns offer advertisers visibility into leads, clicks and conversions, measuring the direct response generated by a hoarding remains challenging. Sharvil’s perspective on the panel highlighted how media owners could support brands by developing ways to quantify audience traction and campaign performance. 

At the same time, the panelists reiterated that outdoor advertising plays a strong role in brand awareness and recall. A creative campaign, when executed well, can remain memorable long after the actual display period. 

A positive outlook for Gujarat’s OOH market 

Concluding the discussion, Deepa highlighted the positive outlook for Gujarat’s OOH market and the opportunities ahead. She noted that the market’s competitive price points, availability of diverse media formats, flexibility for innovation and strong support from media partners make it an attractive market for advertisers. 

The next phase of growth in Gujarat would depend on creating more impactful options, both through existing inventory and new formats. Improving the overall look, aesthetics and quality of outdoor sites would further strengthen the medium and encourage brands to continue investing in OOH. This was the most important takeaway from the panel.