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Following the Centre’s proposed 26% print advertising rate hike, state governments are expected to revise their DIPR rate cards upward, a move that, media buyers say, could add at least Rs 450–500 crore to overall state government print ad spends in FY2026–27.
The industry believes the increase will give publishers a much-needed boost, especially with several major states going to polls in 2026.
DAVP vs DIPR: The two pillars of government advertising
The Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), now operating under the Central Bureau of Communication, oversees all central government and PSU campaigns across print, television, radio and digital media.
In contrast, the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) offices of individual states handle publicity for state departments, including ads for welfare schemes, tenders, recruitments, financial results and awareness campaigns. While DAVP sets the national benchmark for ad rates, most states align their DIPR rate cards to these central benchmarks, with periodic revisions reflecting local market dynamics.
In practice, DIPR rates are typically higher than DAVP rates and are determined by state-level budgets and circulation tiers. According to experts, these rates are often 10% to 50% above the Central benchmarks, depending on the publication’s language, reach and readership strength. Rate cards are often finalised by a Rate Fixation Committee, which takes into account circulation, pulling power, size and geographical coverage, and may be revised as directed by the government when necessary.
Also read: 26% higher: Will DAVP rate hike reshape print ad economics?
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How much states spend on print
While all states’ data is not public, according to industry estimates, Hindi markets accounted for around Rs 1,200 crore in print advertising last fiscal. Maharashtra stood at roughly Rs 175 crore, Karnataka at Rs 100 crore, Tamil Nadu between Rs 125 and Rs 150 crore, Telangana between Rs 150 and Rs 200 crore, and Kerala around Rs 75 crore on local print.
The Gujarat government spent around Rs 80 crore on advertising in FY2024–25, of which approximately 30%, about Rs 24 crore, was directed towards print media, as per RTI data available in the public domain. During the same period, West Bengal allocated around Rs 103 crore for advertising and publicity, with a similar 30% share, or roughly Rs 31 crore, estimated to have gone to print, according to media buyers.
Together, this translates into an estimated base spend of Rs 1,850–1,950 crore in FY2025. Experts also suggest that during election cycles, these spends typically surge by 40–50%.
Also read: Why’s DAVP revenue losing its appeal among Print players
Election-heavy year to lift ad volumes further
With Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala slated for elections next year, state-level spending is already expected to rise sharply. If these states also revise their DIPR rate cards following the DAVP hike, even by a modest 10% over existing rates, it could further expand publisher revenues.
Varghese Chandy, Vice President, Marketing & Advertising Sales, Malayala Manorama, said, “We will definitely grow in that specific period when all advertisers will be spending and contributing. It’s a time when there will be a lot of creative activity and visibility, and naturally, that brings in growth. So yes, we are confident about the momentum during that phase.”
“There are always different rate categories like political or commercial and these will continue to apply as per the nature of the campaign. In addition to that, we are expecting a 20–25% hike in ad inventory during that period, reflecting the overall rise in demand and the strong market sentiment. We see this as a natural outcome of the season’s activity and advertiser confidence,” he added.
A senior media planner, on the condition of anonymity, shared that print continues to be the go-to medium for state and political advertising despite the digital surge. “Even today, 35-40% of total state-level government advertising still goes to print. During election-heavy years, that figure easily jumps 40–50%, driven largely by Hindi heartland and southern states where newspapers remain the most trusted platform for political messaging,” the planner added.
“For parties and state departments, print offers both credibility and regional penetration that digital or outdoor can’t match, especially when it comes to communicating welfare schemes and candidate visibility in vernacular markets,” the buyer said.
Another senior media buyer, speaking off the record, added that while rate revisions could boost publisher earnings, there’s also a risk of ad volume rationalisation by certain states. “Governments tend to adjust the number of insertions or shift focus to regional publications to manage costs. The hike will help the ecosystem, but its full benefit will depend on how states plan their election-year budgets,” the buyer said.
For instance, Tamil Nadu’s print outlay of Rs 125–150 crore could rise to Rs 188–225 crore, while Kerala’s Rs 75 crore allocation could increase to nearly Rs 113 crore once election spending peaks.
How DIPR rate fixation works
DIPR rate fixation follows a defined process. As most official manuals note, in Assam, for example, the 2023 DIPR circulation list includes 42 titles such as The Assam Tribune, The Sentinel, The Hills Times, Asomoya Khabar, Asomiya Pratidin and Niyomiya Barta, which are categorised and empanelled based on circulation and reach, forming the basis for rate tiers.
According to the Assam DIPR’s approved daily newspaper circulation list for 2023, The Assam Tribune commands a rate of Rs 52.13 per sq. cm with an approved circulation of 52,631 copies, while The Sentinel is listed at Rs 48.75 per sq. cm with a circulation of 33,017. The Hills Times carries a rate of Rs 35.63 per sq. cm with 35,250 in circulation, followed by The Assam Post at the same rate with 9,720 copies. The North East Times is pegged at Rs 36.38 per sq. cm with a circulation of 14,810. Among Assamese dailies, Asomoya Khabar is listed at Rs 37.13 per sq. cm with a circulation of 71,159, Niyomiya Barta at Rs 37.50 per sq. cm with 45,344 copies, and Asomiya Pratidin, the highest among them, at Rs 44.65 per sq. cm with a circulation of 78,083.
West Bengal offers another structured example. In 2021, the state’s Information & Cultural Affairs (I&CA) Department made it mandatory that all advertisements of government departments, PSUs and corporations be released either directly by the I&CA Department or through empanelled release agencies, provided such a route results in cost savings. The same notification laid out a detailed rate schedule for newspapers and television channels, establishing transparent mechanisms for release and payment.
According to this rate schedule, Aajkal, a Bengali daily, has been listed at Rs 132 per sq. cm for black and white and Rs 194 per sq. cm for colour advertisements. Ananda Bazar Patrika, one of the state’s leading Bengali dailies, commands the highest rates at Rs 1,254 per sq. cm for black and white and Rs 1,880 per sq. cm for colour. Bartaman, another major Bengali publication, has been approved at Rs 408 per sq. cm for black and white and Rs 582 per sq. cm for colour advertisements.
The broader picture
As reported earlier by exchange4media, the Centre’s 26% DAVP hike has been broadly welcomed by publishers grappling with cost inflation and stagnating yields. The expectation now is that this central revision will set off a domino effect across states, pushing DIPR rate cards higher and reshaping government-funded print advertising economics at a time when both media and political activity are entering their busiest phase of the decade.
The ripple effect is likely to extend beyond government spends. Historically, each DAVP revision triggers 4–10% rate increases in private categories, as commercial advertisers use government tariffs as a benchmark for renegotiations. For smaller and vernacular publishers, whose commercial rates are often close to or below DAVP levels, the new rates could offer a critical boost to viability.
However, stakeholders also caution that actual gains may be lower if the government trims ad volumes to balance spend, which has happened in previous cycles. Still, the revised framework sends a strong signal to states to recalibrate their DIPR rate cards, creating a cascading uplift across the country’s print ad ecosystem.