How your Zepto orders could shape the ads you see on OTT and streaming apps | Mint

Mumbai: Every time you buy something on Zepto, you may be telling advertisers more than you think, and soon, that could shape the ads you see while streaming a show or listening to music.

India’s fast-growing quick commerce player Zepto has partnered with global ad-tech firm The Trade Desk in what is the first such retail media data partnership in India, allowing brands to leverage shopping data for smarter, more targeted advertising—not just within Zepto’s app, but across the wider digital ecosystem. That includes connected TV (CTV), music streaming platforms, websites and mobile apps, potentially extending Zepto’s data footprint far beyond grocery delivery.

Under the partnership, Zepto will share anonymised insights on user shopping behaviour across categories like groceries, electronics, baby care and household goods. Advertisers on The Trade Desk’s platform can then use these signals to target the same high-intent users across other digital channels. 

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Crucially, only users who have opted in to receive relevant ads will be included, and no personal identifiers or names will be shared.

“Brands using Zepto’s retail data on our platform will now gain near-real-time, actionable insights into the entire customer journey,” said Tejinder Gill, managing director, The Trade Desk India. “If a specific message works better with a younger audience on CTV, budgets can be immediately reallocated.”

Beyond precision targeting, the deal also enables closed-loop attribution—linking ad exposure directly to purchases. For instance, a consumer who sees an ad for shampoo on OTT and later buys it on Zepto can now be directly attributed to that campaign. 

“Advertisers need clear, measurable insights into how each part of their media spend drives real outcomes,” Gill added. “The whole advertising process becomes more refined, more effective, and more valuable.”

While FMCG brands are expected to lead adoption, The Trade Desk also sees potential for non-endemic advertisers. “Non-endemic brands such as insurance and auto can also use these signals,” Gill said. “Someone shopping for baby products may soon need a family car or insurance. Retail data opens up smarter signals across categories.”

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For Zepto, the move could mark a step toward monetizing its growing trove of first-party data, potentially opening a high-margin retail media revenue stream that goes beyond its core delivery business. 

With over 60 million monthly users across more than 80 cities, Zepto’s user base presents a rich, high-frequency dataset attractive to advertisers. “By grounding media decisions in actual purchase behaviour, brands can better understand their audiences, optimise performance, and drive meaningful business outcomes,” said Devendra Meel, chief business officer, Zepto.

The partnership reflects a larger shift underway globally as retail media expands beyond e-commerce platforms into open internet channels. The Trade Desk has already struck similar partnerships with Walgreens and CVS in the US, Coles in Australia, and Ocado in the UK. In India, it is now building similar tie-ups with players like BigBasket and others.

Retail media is emerging as one of the fastest-growing segments of digital advertising globally, and India is beginning to see similar momentum.

According to GroupM’s This Year, Next Year report, India’s total advertising market is projected to reach ₹1.64 trillion in 2025, with digital commanding over 60% of that — roughly ₹98,500 crore. Within digital, retail media has grown at a 40% compound annual rate since 2019 and is forecast to account for 13.2% of total ad spend next year.

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The timing is significant as Indian advertisers increasingly demand better targeting, return on investment (ROI) accountability and closed-loop measurement. That demand is being amplified by the gradual phaseout of third-party cookies and growing scrutiny on consumer privacy. India’s new Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP), which came into force in 2023, sets clear guardrails for how platforms like Zepto handle user consent and data sharing. 

As data-driven targeting evolves, partnerships like this may shape the next phase of Indian digital advertising, linking what people see to what they actually buy, in real time.