Since its inception in 2017, CloudTV has reimagined the Indian Smart TV experience by significantly delivering a premium experience on affordable Smart TVs while democratizing content. Adding yet another milestone to its significant growth, the brand has now launched its new CTV advertising platform – CloudTV Ads. This platform will help brands to appear where audiences are most engaged, whether it is on the home screens, content carousels, or launch screens.
In an exclusive interaction with MI, Harshad Wadivkar, Business Head – Monetization, CloudTV Ads speaks about the newly launched platform and how it is helping brands to target their audience.
With a strong passion for digital advertising and media innovation, Harshad is focused on leveraging Cloud TV Ads’ robust platform capabilities to enhance brand visibility and deliver impactful results for advertisers. His professional background talks about his key roles at organizations like Adscholars, Xapads Media, and Mediascope, among others.
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Q) What is OS level connection? How does it help CloudTV’s existing advertisers?
Harshad: By working directly with the smart TV’s operating system, ads appear in the most native and high-visibility spaces on the TV. This gives advertisers a direct moment to capture the viewer’s attention even before they enter any app. The impact is immediate, often referred to as a “first-impact” moment because the ad is placed on the main screen where viewers naturally land. These placements are full-screen, non-skippable, and allow premium formats like Mastheads, Super Mastheads, and 3D banners, which typically do not exist inside apps. For CloudTV’s advertisers, this results in stronger visibility, higher completion rates, and a more consistent way to reach households across different age groups and viewing patterns. We run one brand campaign per day on our premium OS-level inventory, ensuring the advertiser gets 100% Share of Voice on the Masthead banner placed on the first tile for the full 24 hours.
Q) What are the features available for advertisers and brands? How do they benefit from CloudTV Ads?
Harshad: We have new, innovative ad formats like 3D ads, Super Masthead, and precise targeting, which will help advertisers reach CTV audiences in creative and immersive formats. These offerings enhance user engagement and deliver better ROI compared to other mediums like linear TV.
Q) Tell us about the recent association of Cloud TV’s Connected TV Ads with Magnite and JioAds.
Harshad: At CloudTV, we are actively building strong partnerships with the key stakeholders of the CTV advertising ecosystem – including leading SSPs (Supply-side platforms) like Magnite and JioAds. Our goal is to create a seamless, unified pathway for advertisers and agencies to access high-quality CTV inventory without needing to change their existing workflows. By integrating deeply with major platforms and tools they already use, we simplify campaign activation, improve transparency, and ensure smooth delivery across our network. These partnerships strengthen the ecosystem as a whole and make it easier than ever for brands to reach audiences on Connected TV through CloudTV.
Q) What is the future of CTV ads?
Harshad: The future of CTV ads is where traditional TV advertising and digital advertising fully merge. TV ads will no longer work in isolation, they will combine the scale of television with the intelligence of digital. This means advertisers will get better targeting options and far stronger metrics than what traditional TV has ever been able to provide. In simple terms, CTV is the future of traditional TV ads. It delivers the same widespread reach, but with digital-like precision and measurable outcomes, giving advertisers far more control, efficiency and value.
