Maharashtra Times Advertising 2026 — Rates, Combo Discounts & Best Sections

Why Maharashtra Times Is the Premium Marathi Daily

Maharashtra Times (महाराष्ट्र टाईम्स), launched in 1962 by Bennett Coleman & Co. (Times Group), occupies a unique position in the Marathi newspaper landscape. While Sakal and Lokmat dominate on volume, Maharashtra Times owns the premium urban Marathi reader — the same audience that reads Times of India in English.

MT's 22 lakh AIR readership skews sharply towards Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, and Nagpur metros with 62% between 25-44 years old and 58% earning above ₹50,000/month. This makes it the highest-quality Marathi print buy for premium brands — luxury real estate, private schools, IT products, and lifestyle categories.

Maharashtra Times Ad Rates (2026)

Edition	Full Page ₹	Half Page ₹	Quarter Page ₹	Classified /line	Jacket (front+back)
Mumbai (Bombay + Thane)	7,50,000	3,80,000	1,90,000	₹650	9,25,000
Pune	5,20,000	2,60,000	1,30,000	₹520	6,80,000
Nagpur	3,80,000	1,95,000	97,500	₹460	5,20,000
Nashik	3,20,000	1,60,000	80,000	₹420	4,10,000
Aurangabad	2,95,000	1,50,000	75,000	₹420	3,80,000
All-Maharashtra combo	18,50,000	9,25,000	4,60,000	N/A	22,00,000

Reader Demographics — What Makes MT Unique

• Age: 62% aged 25-44 (the sharpest young-adult skew among Marathi dailies).
• Income: 58% earn above ₹50,000/month; 22% above ₹1 lakh/month.
• Education: 71% graduates or postgraduates.
• Geography: 55% Mumbai + Pune metros; 45% tier-2 Maharashtra cities.
• Digital overlap: 78% also read the MT ePaper daily — highest digital co-consumption of any Marathi title.

Best Times Group Combo Discounts

MT sits inside the Times Group family. That means you can bundle MT with Times of India, Economic Times, Navbharat Times (Hindi) and Mirror for coordinated multi-language campaigns at combo-package rates.

• MT + TOI Pune combo: Full-page in both, saves ~22% vs. separate booking.
• MT + Mirror combo (Mumbai/Pune): Reach both premium Marathi + English urban readers, saves ~28%.
• MT + Navbharat Times (Mumbai): Marathi + Hindi urban dual-language ad, saves ~25%.
• Group jacket day: One brand takes the outer wrap across MT + TOI + NBT + ET on the same day. Ultra-premium, ~₹85 lakh but delivers 90+ lakh combined readers.

High-Performing Supplements

1. MT Ravivar (Sunday magazine) — long-form journalism, lifestyle, cinema. Highest reader dwell-time; premium for luxury brands.
2. MT Wed Property — Pune + Mumbai real estate. Prime days for project launches.
3. MT Career — Wed and Sat, targets Marathi-medium students choosing English-medium career paths.
4. MT Wellness — Thu, hospitals, diagnostics, fitness, insurance.
5. MT Auto — Fri, 2-wheeler and passenger-car launches.

Why Brands Pick MT Over Sakal / Lokmat

Sakal wins on Pune volume; Lokmat wins on rural + Vidarbha reach. Maharashtra Times wins when your target reader is a Marathi-speaking urban household that also reads English, uses smartphones for banking, drives a car, and has children in private schools. If you're advertising a luxury housing project in Kalyani Nagar, an ICSE school in Kothrud, an IPO in Marathi to affluent SIP investors, or a wellness clinic in Bandra — MT delivers the sharpest ROI per rupee.

Booking Deadlines & Creative Requirements

• Standard display: Book 4 working days before publication.
• Solus front-page or jacket: Book 2 weeks in advance.
• Sunday MT Ravivar premium slots: Book 3 weeks in advance.
• File formats: CMYK PDF, 300 DPI, embedded fonts. Text minimum 8 pt for readability.
• Bleed: 3 mm on all edges for full-bleed ads.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Maharashtra Times cheaper than Times of India?

Approximately 40-50% cheaper per column-cm for the same city, though TOI reaches a larger and more English-preferring audience. MT is ideal when your product is Marathi-relevant.

Does MT accept English-language ads?

Yes. English ads are accepted in MT and are common for corporate campaigns. However, a hybrid creative — English headline with a Marathi subhead + call-to-action — outperforms English-only by 35-45%.

Which MT edition should a Pune-based real estate developer buy?

MT Pune main edition is the foundation. Layer in Sakal Pune for volume and TOI Pune for the English decision-maker. This 3-paper mix is the Pune real estate industry's standard buy.

What's the readership overlap between MT and TOI Pune?

About 34% of TOI Pune readers also read MT. This means a MT+TOI combo delivers 66% incremental unique reach — a very efficient use of print budget.

Can I run an ePaper-only campaign in MT?

Yes. MT ePaper has 6+ lakh daily digital readers. ePaper-only rates start at ~₹18,000 for a quarter-page equivalent — perfect for testing creatives before committing to print.

How do I book a Maharashtra Times jacket ad?

Contact Shubindia at +91 6001919600 with your target date. Jacket booking requires 2-3 weeks lead time, an approved creative in 8-page master + 4-page cover format, and payment before publication.

See all newspaper advertising services →