CPMs in India are 1/8th of the US — and the arbitrage will close fast as more global brands enter the auction.

Average Meta Ads CPM in India in 2026 is around $0.80; the US sits at $7+. The arbitrage isn't a secret — it's a function of advertiser density. As global D2C brands enter Indian auctions to reach diaspora consumers, the CPMs will normalise. The right move for Indian brands today is aggressive: build audience and brand recall while the CPMs are still subsidised by the market's lower advertiser density. Two years from now, the customer acquisition cost will look very different and the brands who built early will have a structural advantage.