Short answer: anywhere from about ₹15,000 for a single release to several lakh rupees a month for a full-service retainer. That’s a huge range, and it’s why so many founders find PR pricing confusing. Most agencies don’t publish prices at all.
For context, India’s PR industry grew 11% in FY26 to ₹3,230 crore (PRCAI SPRINT 2026). Traditional agency retainers in India commonly cost ₹50,000 to ₹5,00,000 or more a month, often with a six-month minimum. A single wire distribution package, by comparison, usually costs less than one month of a mid-sized retainer.
We do, so let’s walk through what you’re really paying for, what the main pricing models look like, and how to work out what you should spend.
The three ways PR is usually priced
1. Monthly retainers. This is the traditional model. An agency assigns a team that pitches journalists, manages your media relations and handles ongoing announcements. Retainers in India commonly run from around ₹50,000 to ₹5,00,000 or more per month, depending on the agency and scope, and many expect a six-month minimum. Bangalore agencies tend to cost less than Mumbai or Delhi ones for similar work.
Retainers make sense if you have regular news, a spokesperson journalists want to interview, and a budget that can sit there for half a year. For most early-stage startups, that’s not where they are yet.
2. Per-release distribution packages. You pay once to have a press release distributed through wire services like ANI, PTI or IANS and picked up by a network of news websites. Packages in the market typically sit somewhere between ₹15,000 and ₹30,000 for wire distribution, going higher as you add more premium outlets. This is what most people mean today when they say “digital PR”.
3. Project fees. A one-off campaign around a launch, an event or a crisis, quoted on scope. These vary too much to generalise.
What we charge
We work on fixed per-release packages, with no retainer and no lock-in. Here’s the full list.
| Package | Coverage | Potential reach (approx.) | DA | Turnaround | Price (+ GST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ToI & ET | The Times of India, The Economic Times | — | — | — | ₹1,11,000 |
| ANI + BS + 200 | 200+ sites | 162.2 mn | 79 | 2 days | ₹17,500 |
| PTI + T20 | 240+ sites | 19 mn | 66 | 48 hours | ₹18,500 |
| ANI + BS + 200 (extended) | 200+ sites | 162.2 mn | 79 | 2 days | ₹25,300 |
| ANI + BS + PTI | 300+ sites | 80 mn | 79 | 48 hours | ₹31,000 |
| ANI + BS + PTI + HT | 200+ sites | 162.2 mn | 79 | 2 days | ₹60,000 |
Every package includes 0 to 2 backlinks. Pickups are frequent rather than guaranteed, and some outlets publish with a disclaimer.
What actually changes the price
Which wire services are included. PTI and ANI are the big national agencies, and packages that include both cost more. If being on PTI matters to your investors or customers, that’s where the money goes.
Premium outlets. Adding names like Business Standard or Hindustan Times pushes the price up more than adding another fifty smaller sites does. One recognisable logo often does more for credibility than a long list of sites nobody’s heard of.
Number of sites. More sites means more mentions, but there’s a point where extra volume adds little. Two hundred decent pickups is plenty for most announcements.
Speed. Most of our packages go out within 48 hours to two days. If you need something faster, ask, but plan ahead where you can.
Writing. A release that reads like news gets picked up more widely than one that reads like an advert. Whether writing is included, and how good it is, matters more than people expect.
So how much should you spend?
It depends on what you need the coverage to do.
If you mainly want something credible to show when people Google you, a single package in the ₹11,000 to ₹20,000 range will usually do it. That’s often enough for a product launch or a first announcement.
If you’re announcing funding or a big partnership and want national wire coverage, look at packages that include PTI or both ANI and PTI, roughly ₹18,500 to ₹31,000 with us.
If you want the biggest names in one go for a milestone moment, our ₹60,000 package is the one. Most of our clients don’t start there, and you don’t need to either.
And if you have news every month, a retainer elsewhere might genuinely suit you better. We’d rather tell you that than sell you the wrong thing.
A few hidden costs to watch for
- GST at 18% on top of the quoted price (ours are quoted + GST too, so compare like for like).
- Separate charges for writing or editing the release.
- “Guaranteed” premium placements that turn out to be paid advertorials at extra cost.
- Long minimum contracts on retainers.
FAQs
What is the cheapest way to get press coverage in Bangalore? A single distribution package. With us that starts at ₹15,000 + GST.
Is digital PR cheaper in Bangalore than in Mumbai or Delhi? Generally yes for agency retainers. Wire distribution prices are more national, so the difference there is smaller.
Do I need to pay monthly? Not with us. You pay per release.
Is it worth it for a small business? If you have real news, yes. One good release gives you search results, brand mentions and something to share for months.
Let’s find the right package
Tell us what you’re announcing and your budget, and we’ll suggest a package honestly. MarketingAdvisor.in is a cost-effective digital PR agency in Bangalore. Email abhay@marketingadvisor.in or call +91 80996 11325.
Related reading: Affordable digital PR for startups · Best digital PR agency in Bangalore
References
- exchange4media, “Indian public relations market to reach ₹4,500 crore by 2030: PRCAI SPRINT 2026”, July 2026. Read
- eChai Ventures, “When is it worth hiring a PR agency in India? Costs” (retainer ranges and minimum terms). Read
- IndiaFilings, “Press release distribution pricing” (published wire distribution packages from ₹16,000 + GST). Read