PR costs
What a PR agency costs in Mumbai
Published retainer bands from boutique to multinational, what sits outside the fee, and how to judge whether a PR retainer is returning anything. Figures checked October 2026.
The bands
Four tiers, and who is in each
PR is sold by retainer because the work is continuous. Relationships with journalists do not pause between campaigns, and an agency that stops pitching for two months starts from behind.
Hourly figures appear on the review platforms too, typically $100 to $199 an hour for Mumbai firms, with some smaller agencies under $25. Retainers are the normal arrangement; hourly work usually means a one-off project or crisis support.
What you are paying for
Where the month actually goes
PR retainers feel opaque because the output is intermittent while the work is constant. This is roughly where the hours sit.
Story development
Finding angles worth a journalist's time. The most valuable hours in the month and the least visible.
Media relationships
Lists kept current, reporters tracked as they move desks, conversations had when there is nothing to sell.
Writing and pitching
Releases, notes and individual approaches. Most are declined, which is the job working normally.
Follow-up and handling
The nudge that converts a silence, then briefing you properly before an interview.
Judging it
How to tell whether a PR retainer is working
Harder than paid media, where the number is on the screen. Not impossible.
Worth measuring
- Placements by named publication, with the link
- Whether journalists now approach you for comment
- Whether your name searched returns third-party coverage
- Links earned from real publications
- Whether sales are using the coverage
Not worth measuring
- Releases sent, which counts their activity, not your result
- Advertising value equivalent, a number agencies invented
- Combined readership of every outlet contacted
- Coverage in outlets your buyers have never read
FAQs
PR pricing: common questions
How much does a PR agency charge in Mumbai?
Published figures put boutique and specialist retainers from about ₹80,000 a month, growth-stage briefs at roughly ₹1,50,000 to ₹2,50,000, and the large multinational firms starting around ₹3,00,000. Across India the range runs from about ₹30,000 to ₹5,00,000 and beyond. Award fees, events and 18% GST sit outside that.
Why is PR more expensive than social media?
Because it is senior time rather than production time. The value sits in judgement about what is newsworthy and in relationships built over years, neither of which can be delegated to a junior or scaled with software.
Can I pay per placement instead?
Some agencies offer it, and it usually means paid placement rather than editorial coverage. Genuine editorial cannot be guaranteed, so nobody can honestly sell it by the piece. If a per-placement price is quoted, ask directly whether the publication is being paid.
What is the minimum worth spending?
Below roughly ₹50,000 a month there is not enough senior time in the retainer to develop stories and maintain relationships, so it becomes release-writing. If the budget is genuinely smaller, one well-executed project is usually better value than a thin ongoing retainer.
How long before I should judge it?
Six months. The first month is groundwork, placements typically start in months two and three with trade and regional press, and national coverage becomes realistic once there is a track record to pitch against. Judging PR at eight weeks is judging the setup.
Is a wire service included?
Usually not, and often not worth paying for. Wire distribution puts a release in front of a database; it does not make a journalist want to write about you. We would rather spend the same money on ten properly targeted pitches.
Tell us the brief, we will tell you the band
Sector, audience and whether you want trade, regional or national. That is enough for a real number.