Gujarat’s OOH Market has the scale. Does it have the economics for digital?

With around 1,500–1,600 sites across Gujarat and exclusive rights in Gandhinagar, Abhik Advertising has a broad view of the state’s OOH market. Abhik Patel says outdoor has grown sharply since Covid, but the economics of digital remain difficult for media owners to justify.

Despite its extensive network, Abhik Advertising currently has no digital inventory. Abhik points to the gap between static and digital returns, alongside electricity, maintenance and technology costs, as a key reason. He also sees oversupply from government tenders putting pressure on media rates and limiting the appetite for fresh investment.

At the same time, local and regional advertisers continue to sustain the market, with national advertising accounting for less than 10% of Abhik Advertising’s business. Entrepreneurship, real estate and the growth of local businesses remain important drivers of outdoor demand.

For Ahmedabad, however, Abhik believes policy is the bigger constraint. With new sites currently restricted and existing policy issues unresolved, he points to Gandhinagar as an example of how a more structured framework could work. He advocates streamlined decision-making and larger, more organised tender lots.

As Ahmedabad prepares for major infrastructure development ahead of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, Abhik believes the city has an opportunity to create a more uniform OOH landscape. For Gujarat’s outdoor market, the long-term trajectory remains positive—but its next phase will depend on whether policy and economics can keep pace with the shift from static to digital.