Healthcare Tops Ad Violations, Baby Care Sector Joins Top Offenders: ASCI Report

According to an annual analysis by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), the healthcare sector was the most non-compliant with advertising rules in India for 2023-24, with the majority of violations stemming from misleading claims.

The healthcare sector represented the largest share, with 19 percent or 1,569 out of 8,229 advertisements reviewed by ASCI during the year.

Illegal offshore betting ads made up 17 percent, and personal care advertisements accounted for 13 percent.

The report also indicated that in 2023-24, ASCI received 12.75 percent more complaints about misleading and non-compliant advertisements, totaling 10,093 compared to 8,951 in 2022-23.

Interestingly, for the first time, the baby care sector has appeared on the list of top 10 violators due to influencers promoting products and services without revealing material connections.

Of the 91 advertisements reviewed from this sector, 81 percent were influencer promotions lacking proper disclosure. Approximately 99 percent of these advertisements needed modifications, and 76 percent of them were uncontested by the advertisers.