Over 1 Million Students Across 13 States Complete ASCI's Advertising Literacy Programme

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has announced a significant milestone for its educational initiative AdWise, which has now reached more than a million students in schools across the country.

The programme has engaged 10,66,374 students across 2,063 schools in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Delhi NCR, Karnataka, West Bengal, Punjab, Assam, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

Developed by ASCI Academy, the initiative responds to the evolving advertising landscape where digital platforms dominate and branded content seamlessly blends with editorial material, particularly through influencer partnerships. The core objective is to equip young learners with critical thinking skills to recognise advertising's commercial intent and navigate this complex media environment.

Assessment data demonstrates substantial gains in students' advertising comprehension. Among younger students in grades 3 to 5, those able to correctly identify the purpose of advertisements increased from 43% to 94%. The ability to think critically about advertising claims jumped from 39% to 90%. Recognition of persuasive techniques rose from 32% to 87%, while the capacity to identify disguised advertising climbed from 36% to 90%. Understanding of verification before accepting advertised promises improved from 37% to 93%.

Older students in grades 6 to 8 showed similar improvements. Recognition of advertising purpose increased from 45% to 92%, while comprehension of influencer promotions grew from 39% to 88%. Identification of masked advertisements improved from 31% to 84%, online safety awareness rose from 45% to 91%, and understanding of persuasive tactics increased from 36% to 88%.

The classroom-based approach teaches students to distinguish between content and promotional material, analyse persuasive messaging, and make informed consumer decisions. Sessions were conducted in eight languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati and Assamese.

"Children are now growing up amid advertising and content that are deeply interwoven," said Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General of ASCI. "The programme's impact is clear from these results—across all measures, performance more than doubled following the classroom interventions. This reflects a generation of young people becoming significantly more discerning consumers. Advertising and media literacy represent critical life competencies as children encounter commercial messaging from increasingly younger ages. We look forward to expanded curriculum integration and similar initiatives. We acknowledge our partner SHARP NGO for their instrumental role in enabling us to reach beyond a million students."

The programme employs age-appropriate modules, interactive activities, video content and guided discussions designed for specific student cohorts. Beyond students, it provides supporting materials for educators and families to reinforce learning at home and in school.

ASCI continues prioritising responsible advertising standards and consumer education, with particular emphasis on protecting children and younger demographics. Through AdWise, the organisation is working to broaden advertising literacy access across Indian schools.