How much does a sponsored post cost in India?
Updated 20 October 2026
A sponsored article on an Indian site can cost anything from a few thousand rupees on a small niche blog to tens of thousands on a national news site, and occasionally lakhs on a premium brand. The traffic number alone won't tell you which end you're at.
01
What do sponsored posts on Indian sites cost?
Listed prices on one public marketplace (PRNEWS.IO's India catalogue, checked in October 2026) give a sense of the range for well-known sites:
- Sacnilk: ₹12,978
- ETV Bharat: ₹30,826
- Hindustan Times: ₹45,423
- Outlook India: ₹59,878
- ELLE India: ₹2,79,027
Smaller niche blogs and newsletters often charge a few thousand rupees. Press release packages that bundle many sites start lower: PressRelease.in lists an entry package at ₹3,776 including GST. SellHax's price page shows the current low, typical and high prices across its own marketplace.
02
Why doesn't price follow traffic?
In the same catalogue, Hindustan Times, with about 77 million monthly visits, is listed for less than ELLE India, with about 1 million. Price reflects what a site's audience is worth to advertisers, its brand, how much sponsored content it accepts, and demand from buyers, not just visitor numbers.
03
What drives the price?
- Audience value: finance, business and luxury readers cost more to reach than general entertainment readers.
- Brand and authority: a name readers trust costs more, and is worth more to be seen on.
- Who writes it: a piece the publication writes for you costs more than publishing one you supply.
- Placement and extras: homepage spots, social posts, newsletter mentions and permanent links add to the price.
- Link type: a link marked rel="sponsored" is the honest default; sites promising unlabelled "dofollow" links are taking a risk with your brand.
04
What extra costs should you check?
- GST: Indian prices may or may not include 18% GST. Check which.
- Writing fees, if you don't supply the article.
- Revisions beyond those included.
- Platform or service fees: on SellHax this is one fee shown as its own line before you pay.
05
How do you know if a price is fair?
Compare three or four similar sites in the same topic and region rather than judging one price on its own. Then check what you actually get: real traffic from your market, a topic that fits, a labelled post that gets indexed, and a way to get your money back if it doesn't go live.