Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has revealed that offshore betting emerged as the most violative advertising category in FY26, as overall cases processed by the self-regulatory body surged 21% year-on-year amid rising concerns over misleading digital advertising and influencer-led promotions.
According to ASCI’s Annual Complaints Report 2025-26, the council reviewed 11,581 cases during the financial year, covering 9,841 advertisements, a 37% increase compared to the previous year. Nearly 98% of the advertisements scrutinised required modification.
The report stated that offshore betting alone accounted for 6,933 cases, making it the most violative sector by a significant margin. Realty followed with 643 cases, while personal care, food and beverages and products violating the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act accounted for 576, 331 and 274 cases respectively.
Digital ads account for over 97% of violations
ASCI said digital platforms continued to dominate the violations landscape, contributing 97.3% of all ads scrutinised during FY26. Sponsored content on social media platforms accounted for 82% of these digital violations.
Meta-owned platforms represented nearly 79.84% of all digital violations identified by the regulator.
The report highlighted that ads promoting harmful products or unsafe situations made up 75.4% of all violations, while misleading claims accounted for 27.5%.
According to ASCI, the offshore betting ecosystem remains particularly challenging due to high-speed content creation, influencer-driven promotions and rapid cross-platform distribution through social media groups, affiliate networks and messaging platforms.
Between April and December 2025, ASCI identified 854 influencer violations linked to offshore betting promotions, including several accounts dedicated entirely to betting-related content.
Influencer marketing under scrutiny
The report showed influencer advertising remained a major compliance concern beyond betting-related promotions.
Out of 1,609 influencer advertisements processed during FY26, 97.3% required modifications, while more than 54% involved categories prohibited by law or where advertising restrictions apply.
Illegal betting contributed 54% of influencer violations, followed by personal care at 16.9%, electronics and consumer durables at 7.9%, food and beverages at 6.3%, and fashion and lifestyle at 4.3%.
ASCI also observed widespread use of exaggerated claims and pseudo-scientific assertions in beauty, personal care and food categories.
In personal care, common violations included guaranteed skin transformation, hair growth promises, instant results, unsupported “scientific” claims and misleading “natural” or “safe” positioning.
In food and beverages, misleading claims were linked to weight-loss supplements, growth formulas and products claiming benefits related to chronic disease management, fertility and metabolic health.
Nutraceuticals emerge as major concern
The report highlighted growing concerns around nutraceutical advertising, noting that the segment increasingly blurs the line between food and medicine.
Although classified as food products under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations, many nutraceutical advertisements carried quasi-medical or therapeutic claims.
Nutraceuticals accounted for 52% of food and beverage-related cases, with 96% of such advertisements requiring modification.
Voluntary compliance improves
ASCI noted that voluntary compliance levels improved from 83% to 86% during FY26, with television and print advertisements recording near-perfect adherence levels of 97%.
The council said 61% of reviewed advertisements were not contested, with brands withdrawing or modifying them immediately after notification.
ASCI Chairman Sudhanshu Vats said the report reflects an advertising ecosystem increasingly shaped by speed, competition and digital amplification.
“The findings underline the urgent need for stronger accountability, better substantiation standards, responsible influencer practices and preventive approaches to governance in digital advertising,” he said.
ASCI CEO and Secretary General Manisha Kapoor said the organisation’s proactive monitoring systems have enabled consumer protection efforts at scale in the digital era.
She also highlighted ASCI’s collaborations with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Telangana Real Estate Regulatory Authority to curb misleading advertising practices.