Top 50 Newspapers for Advertising in India 2026: Complete Rate Comparison
India's Newspaper Advertising Landscape at a Glance
India is the world's largest newspaper market with over 400 million daily readers, 17,000+ active publications, and newspapers in 22+ languages. For advertisers, this represents an unmatched opportunity to reach specific demographics, geographies, and language groups through trusted local media.
This guide ranks the top 50 Indian newspapers by readership and provides a side-by-side advertising rate comparison to help you find the perfect paper for your campaign.
Top 50 Indian Newspapers by Readership
| # | Newspaper | Language | Readers (Lakh) | Display Rate Range (Rs/sq cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dainik Jagran | Hindi | 684 | 180 - 1,200 |
| 2 | Dainik Bhaskar | Hindi | 572 | 150 - 950 |
| 3 | Amar Ujala | Hindi | 463 | 150 - 900 |
| 4 | Hindustan | Hindi | 380 | 130 - 750 |
| 5 | Lokmat | Marathi | 180 | 100 - 650 |
| 6 | Gujarat Samachar | Gujarati | 150 | 200 - 900 |
| 7 | Daily Thanthi | Tamil | 140 | 100 - 600 |
| 8 | Rajasthan Patrika | Hindi | 130 | 120 - 700 |
| 9 | Divya Bhaskar | Gujarati | 120 | 180 - 850 |
| 10 | Eenadu | Telugu | 120 | 100 - 700 |
| 11 | Malayala Manorama | Malayalam | 97 | 150 - 800 |
| 12 | Prabhat Khabar | Hindi | 95 | 80 - 380 |
| 13 | Dinamalar | Tamil | 80 | 80 - 450 |
| 14 | Sandesh | Gujarati | 80 | 150 - 650 |
| 15 | Sakshi | Telugu | 78 | 80 - 500 |
| 16 | Sakal | Marathi | 75 | 120 - 700 |
| 17 | Nai Dunia | Hindi | 72 | 80 - 420 |
| 18 | Mathrubhumi | Malayalam | 62 | 120 - 650 |
| 19 | Punjab Kesari | Hindi | 58 | 100 - 500 |
| 20 | Dinakaran | Tamil | 52 | 70 - 380 |
| 21 | Anandabazar Patrika | Bengali | 52 | 250 - 1,000 |
| 22 | The Hindu | English | 49 | 350 - 1,800 |
| 23 | Sambad | Odia | 45 | 80 - 350 |
| 24 | Andhra Jyothy | Telugu | 45 | 70 - 400 |
| 25 | Maharashtra Times | Marathi | 45 | 200 - 900 |
| 26 | Vijay Karnataka | Kannada | 42 | 120 - 600 |
| 27 | Prajavani | Kannada | 38 | 100 - 520 |
| 28 | Ajit | Punjabi | 35 | 120 - 500 |
| 29 | Dinamani | Tamil | 35 | 80 - 400 |
| 30 | Times of India | English | 31 | 300 - 3,000 |
| 31 | Pudhari | Marathi | 30 | 60 - 300 |
| 32 | Dharitri | Odia | 30 | 60 - 280 |
| 33 | Bartaman | Bengali | 25 | 120 - 500 |
| 34 | Samaja | Odia | 22 | 50 - 240 |
| 35 | Hindustan Times | English | 22 | 350 - 2,500 |
| 36 | Jag Bani | Punjabi | 20 | 80 - 350 |
| 37 | Deccan Chronicle | English | 20 | 200 - 800 |
| 38 | Navbharat Times | Hindi | 18.5 | 200 - 1,100 |
| 39 | Loksatta | Marathi | 18 | 150 - 600 |
| 40 | Madhyamam | Malayalam | 18 | 60 - 300 |
| 41 | Kannada Prabha | Kannada | 18 | 80 - 380 |
| 42 | Indian Express | English | 17 | 300 - 2,000 |
| 43 | Asomiya Pratidin | Assamese | 16 | 50 - 250 |
| 44 | Telegraph | English | 15 | 300 - 1,200 |
| 45 | Udayavani | Kannada | 15 | 70 - 340 |
| 46 | Pragativadi | Odia | 15 | 40 - 200 |
| 47 | Vaartha | Telugu | 15 | 50 - 280 |
| 48 | Deccan Herald | English | 12 | 180 - 700 |
| 49 | Ei Samay | Bengali | 12 | 150 - 600 |
| 50 | Kerala Kaumudi | Malayalam | 12 | 50 - 250 |
Rate Comparison by Language Group
| Language | Avg Display Rate (Rs/sq cm) | Avg Classified (Rs/line) | Total Readership (Crore) | CPM (Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindi | 150 - 800 | 50 - 180 | 30+ | 15 - 40 |
| English | 300 - 2,500 | 100 - 400 | 3.5 | 80 - 200 |
| Tamil | 80 - 500 | 25 - 110 | 4+ | 20 - 50 |
| Telugu | 70 - 600 | 22 - 120 | 3+ | 20 - 55 |
| Malayalam | 80 - 700 | 25 - 140 | 2+ | 30 - 70 |
| Marathi | 80 - 700 | 25 - 150 | 4+ | 20 - 50 |
| Gujarati | 120 - 800 | 30 - 140 | 3.5+ | 25 - 60 |
| Bengali | 100 - 900 | 30 - 170 | 1.5+ | 35 - 80 |
| Kannada | 70 - 550 | 22 - 120 | 1.5+ | 25 - 60 |
| Punjabi | 70 - 450 | 22 - 95 | 0.8+ | 25 - 55 |
| Odia | 50 - 320 | 18 - 75 | 1.2+ | 20 - 45 |
How to Choose: Decision Framework
| Your Goal | Best Paper Type | Examples | Budget Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pan-India brand awareness | Top Hindi + English dailies | Dainik Jagran + TOI + The Hindu | ₹10-50 lakh |
| State-level campaign | Dominant regional daily | Lokmat (MH), Gujarat Samachar (GJ) | ₹2-10 lakh |
| City-specific promotion | City edition of top paper | Sakal Pune, Eenadu Hyderabad | ₹50K-3 lakh |
| Recruitment drive | Paper with best classifieds | TOI Times Ascent, Jagran, ABP | ₹5K-50K |
| Matrimonial listing | Sunday edition specialists | Jagran, Bhaskar, TOI, Lokmat | ₹1K-10K |
| Legal/Public notice | Cheapest qualifying paper | District editions of any major daily | ₹500-5K |
| Premium audience targeting | English broadsheets | The Hindu, Economic Times, Indian Express | ₹1-15 lakh |
Book Across 200+ Newspapers with Shubindia
Shubindia Ad Works provides one-stop newspaper advertising across all 50 papers listed above — and 150+ more. Our media buying team handles rate negotiation, creative design, multi-language translation, placement coordination, and publication proofs. Whether you need a single classified or a pan-India multi-language display campaign, we deliver the best rates with zero hassle.
Get your free newspaper advertising proposal or call +91-9850219850.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most widely read newspaper in India?
Dainik Jagran is India's most widely read newspaper with 6.84 crore readers across 73 editions. It's followed by Dainik Bhaskar (5.72 crore), Amar Ujala (4.63 crore), Hindustan (3.80 crore), and Daily Thanthi (1.40 crore). Among English papers, Times of India leads with 31 lakh readers.
What is the average cost of newspaper advertising in India?
Costs vary enormously: National English dailies charge ₹300-3,000/sq cm for display ads, Hindi dailies ₹100-1,200/sq cm, and regional language papers ₹50-700/sq cm. Classified text ads range from ₹10-25/word or ₹30-250/line. A typical small business can start newspaper advertising from ₹2,000-5,000 in local editions.
Which newspaper has the best ROI for advertising?
For mass ROI, Hindi dailies like Dainik Jagran and Dainik Bhaskar offer the lowest CPM (cost per thousand readers) at ₹15-40 CPM vs ₹80-200 for English papers. For premium audiences, The Hindu and Economic Times deliver the highest income-per-reader. For hyperlocal ROI, district-level editions of any dominant regional paper deliver the best cost-per-response.
How many newspapers are available for advertising in India?
India has over 1,00,000 registered newspapers, of which approximately 17,000 are actively published. For advertising purposes, agencies typically work with the top 200-500 newspapers that cover 95%+ of the readership across all states and languages. Platforms like TheMediaAnt list 2,800+ newspaper advertising options.
Should I advertise in local or national newspapers?
If your business serves customers in specific cities or states, local/regional papers deliver 3-5x better ROI than national dailies. National papers (TOI, HT, Indian Express) are best for pan-India brand campaigns, corporate announcements, and IPO/financial advertising. A smart strategy combines 1 national + 1-2 regional papers per target market.
For latest newspaper advertising rates, contact our specialized Newspaper Advertising Desk: Call +919850219850 or WhatsApp our Newspaper Desk.
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