Hyundai Motor India Raises Ad Spend 12.6%, Expands AI-Led Marketing

Hyundai Motor India's advertising and sales promotion spend rose 12.6% to Rs 773.68 crore in FY26, up from Rs 687.30 crore in FY25.

Ad spend: Rs 773.68 crore, FY26, up 12.6% year-on-year
Ad spend as share of revenue: 1.09% in FY26, up from 0.99% in FY25
Consolidated revenue: Rs 70,763.33 crore, up 2.3%
Profit after tax: Rs 5,431.52 crore, down 3.7%
EBITDA margin: 12.15%, down from 12.94%
Revenue split: 74.44% domestic, 25.56% exports

Spending More As Margins Narrow

The increase in ad spend comes even as Hyundai Motor India's profitability softened for the year: profit after tax fell 3.7% to Rs 5,431.52 crore and EBITDA margin narrowed to 12.15% from 12.94%, while consolidated revenue grew a comparatively modest 2.3% to Rs 70,763.33 crore. Ad spend rising faster than revenue, and ad spend as a share of revenue climbing to 1.09% from 0.99%, points to a company choosing to defend its market presence through a softer margin year rather than pull back on marketing to protect the bottom line.

AI Woven Into Media Planning

Dong Huwy Park, Whole-time Director and Chief Operating Officer, said, "FY26 marked a year of disciplined execution for Hyundai Motor India Limited." Alongside the spend increase, the company is expanding its use of AI across media planning, audience targeting and customer acquisition, with plans for faster content creation and digital platforms designed to anticipate customer needs. The direction was already visible in an AI-powered test-drive campaign the company ran during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, built around AI-generated content, a preview of the kind of AI-led marketing the company is now applying more broadly.