What does the ASCI Code say?
In short: ads must be truthful and not misleading. They must not be indecent or offensive. They must not encourage harm. They must be fair to competitors. ASCI has extra guidelines for areas such as influencer ads. There, paid posts must be clearly labelled.
Does ASCI have legal backing?
ASCI itself is voluntary, but its code carries weight. An ad that breaks the ASCI Code may not be shown on cable TV. This is under rule 7(9) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994. The Central Consumer Protection Authority can also act on misleading ads. It does so under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
How often do ads break the rules?
Often. In 2024-25 ASCI looked into 9,599 complaints and checked 7,199 ads. 98% of the ads it checked needed some change, according to its annual report (May 2025). 94.4% of the ads it processed came from digital media.
What it means for your business
- Keep proof for every claim you make, such as "No. 1", "clinically proven" or "50% off".
- Label paid influencer posts clearly, for example as an ad or paid partnership.
- Be careful in high-risk areas such as health, finance, real estate and education claims.
- Check ads before they go live, not after a complaint.
Related terms
- Disclosure: telling viewers an ad or post is paid.
- CCPA: the Central Consumer Protection Authority, the government regulator for misleading ads.
- BARC: the TV ratings body, which measures viewing rather than ad content.
We plan campaigns with the rules in mind through our advertising services. For ad-spend and complaint figures, see India marketing statistics.
