Google’s AI Overviews to Feature Ads in India: What It Means for Search Users

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Google has announced that ads will soon appear within AI Overviews on Search in India, marking a major shift in how users experience search results. This rollout, revealed at Google Marketing Live India 2025, will begin later this year across mobile and desktop platforms in English.

Key Highlights:

Ads will be contextually placed beneath AIgenerated summaries, clearly labeled as “Sponsored” to distinguish them from organic content.
Formats include product titles, short descriptions, and clickable purchase links tailored to the user’s query and the AI response.
India becomes the first market outside the US to receive this feature, following its successful launch in October 2024 for American users.

User Experience Impact:

AI Overviews have seen a 10 percent rise in query types in India, with over 1.5 billion global users engaging with the feature.
Ads will appear only when relevant, aiming to enhance discovery without disrupting the search flow.
The move aligns with India’s removal of the 2% digital ad tax, making it a prime market for AIdriven ad innovation.

Advertiser Tools:

Brands can use AI Max to optimize ad placements based on landing pages, assets, and realtime campaign data.
“Generated for You” in Product Studio will autocreate brandaligned visuals and videos from product catalogs.
Smart Bidding Exploration will help advertisers capture emerging search intent beyond traditional keywords.

Sources: Google Marketing Live India, Hindustan Times, Indian Express, Gadgets360, Observer Voice.