Table of Contents
City-Wise Rate Comparison β What You're Actually Working With
TOI advertising rates vary across editions, and more than you think. Most expensive is Mumbai. Delhi is close behind. Ahmedabad, Pune, Chandigarh are considerably cheaper per line.
Here's a ballpark estimate for classified obituary notices (plain text only, per line charges) in early 2026:
| City | Approx Rate (Per Line) |
|---|---|
| Mumbai | βΉ850ββΉ1,100 |
| Delhi | βΉ800ββΉ1,000 |
| Bangalore | βΉ600ββΉ800 |
| Hyderabad | βΉ550ββΉ750 |
| Ahmedabad | βΉ450ββΉ650 |
| Pune | βΉ500ββΉ650 |
| Chennai | βΉ500ββΉ700 |
In Mumbai a standard 5 line classified obituary will cost between βΉ4,250ββΉ5,500. The same notice in Ahmedabad: βΉ2,250ββΉ3,250. Same newspaper. Same page type. Different markets.
Display (bordered, with photo) obituaries are different. A quarter-column in display, Mumbai rates, for a day, can exceed βΉ40,000. Most families donβt need display ads β classifieds are enough.
Discount Strategies That Actually Work
- Multi-city booking: 10β15% discount possible
- Repeat client: Mention past bookings
- Mid-week booking: βΉ50ββΉ100 per line savings
What won't work: calling the TOI booking desk and asking for a discount. The desk staff donβt have pricing control β agencies do.
Online Booking Platforms β Faster, Sometimes Cheaper
Obituary ads can be placed directly via TOIβs portal. Rates are same as rate card β no discount. Advantage: instant booking and confirmation.
Third-party platforms may offer small savings (βΉ100ββΉ300). Best useful when booking multiple newspapers together.
Always get a written quote. Many sites display outdated pricing.
Agency Recommendations β What to Look For
Choose only TOI-accredited agencies. They can hold ad space and provide confirmed booking.
- Ask: βAre you TOI-accredited?β
- Ask: βCan you send written quote before payment?β
If the answer is unclear β donβt proceed. Mumbai TOI Lower Parel office also allows direct booking.
Package Deals β When They Make Sense
- TOI + Maharashtra Times
- TOI + Lokmat
These packages can save 15β25% when both papers are actually needed.
Donβt choose packages just for βextra reachβ β choose only if your audience reads both.
How to Get the Cheapest Obituary Ad Rates
Short version:
- Classified choose karo
- Agency use karo
- Mid-week booking karo
- Written quote lo
Step-by-step:
- Display vs classified decide karo
- Text pehle draft karo
- 2β3 agencies compare karo
- Written quote lo
- Payment se pehle confirmation lo
10 FAQs on Cheapest Obituary Ad Booking
What are the cheapest obituary ad rates Times of India Bangalore 5 lines? β
For a standard 5-line classified obituary in the Bangalore edition, expect βΉ3,000ββΉ4,000 for a single insertion at current rates. Booking through a TOI-accredited agency sometimes brings this to βΉ2,800ββΉ3,200 depending on the agency's margin. The cheapest obituary ad rates in Bangalore are mid-week bookings through accredited agencies β avoid weekend slots if cost is the priority.
What is affordable obituary ad agency for Times of India Mumbai? β
I won't publish specific contact details here β they go out of date fast and a wrong number during a difficult time is the last thing anyone needs. Search "TOI accredited obituary ad agency Mumbai" and look for agencies that list their TOI accreditation explicitly on their site. Then call and ask for a written quote before committing. Two or three calls takes twenty minutes and can save βΉ500ββΉ1,500 on a standard insertion.
How to find cheapest obituary ad rates in TOI cities 2026? β
Call two agencies. Rates change quarterly β nothing published stays accurate long enough to rely on. Cheapest obituary ad rates in smaller TOI editions like Ahmedabad and Pune run 30β40% below Mumbai for the same space. If you have any flexibility on which city edition you need, that difference is bigger than any discount you'll negotiate on the Mumbai rate.
What discounts available for obituary ads? β
Three real ones: multi-city combined booking (10β15% off), repeat-client rate if you've booked with the same agency before, and mid-week insertion if timing is flexible. There's no general "obituary discount" on the TOI rate card. Don't let anyone tell you there is β they're adding a fabricated line to justify charging you less than what they originally quoted, which suggests they inflated the first number.
How much does TOI obituary price vary by city? β
A lot. Mumbai classified rates run 60β80% higher per line than Ahmedabad. Delhi and Mumbai are close to each other. Bangalore and Hyderabad sit in the middle of the pack, Chennai and Pune a little below that. TOI ad cost tracks each edition's circulation and advertiser demand β not arbitrary, but the gap is real enough to matter. If you genuinely only need the notice in one city, which city you pick is a bigger cost decision than any discount you'll find.
What are TOI remembrance ad display rates? β
Display rates in Ahmedabad for the TOI edition are approximately βΉ350ββΉ500 per sq cm for black-and-white as of early 2026. Colour adds around 30β35%. These are display rates β for a standard remembrance notice that's text only, the per-line classified rate applies instead, which is cheaper. Verify with a TOI-accredited Ahmedabad agency before booking. Rates here shift with edition demand and I'd rather you confirm than trust a number that may be three months stale.
Can you negotiate obituary ad rates with TOI? β
With the TOI booking desk directly: you can't. They have no pricing discretion. With an accredited agency: you can, but "negotiate" is the wrong frame. Ask for their best rate on your specific brief. Ask what multi-city or mid-week savings apply. Ask if there's a package available. These questions get results; the word "negotiate" sometimes puts people on the defensive. The agency has a margin they can choose to share. Whether they do depends partly on how the conversation goes β and partly on how many other agencies you've already called. That part is up to you.
What is the minimum cost for obituary ads? β
For the TOI specifically, the minimum classified booking is typically 3 lines. At Ahmedabad rates, that's around βΉ1,350ββΉ1,950 for a single insertion. At Mumbai rates, βΉ2,550ββΉ3,300. Smaller regional papers β Maharashtra Times, Hindustan, Lokmat β have lower minimums. If cost is the binding constraint, a regional-language paper may serve the family's network better than the TOI at lower cost. It depends entirely on who the family needs to reach.
How to compare TOI ad cost across editions? β
Ask any TOI-accredited agency for a comparative rate sheet. Most maintain one because clients regularly ask this exact question. Alternatively, the TOI's own rate information is accessible through their central ad booking desk β ask for the multi-edition classified rate card. What you can't do easily is compare these rates on the TOI's public website, which doesn't present city-by-city obituary pricing in one place.
What packages offer cheapest obituary ad booking? β
Multi-paper packages that bundle the TOI with one regional-language paper offer the best per-insertion cost for families who need notices in both. The savings are real β 15β25% compared to booking each paper separately β but only if you actually need both papers. A package that adds a paper nobody reads is not a saving. Ask your agency what the combined rate is for your specific city combination, then ask what each paper costs separately. Do the arithmetic yourself. It takes two minutes and it's the only way to know if the package is actually cheaper.
What packages offer cheapest obituary ad booking? β
Multi-paper packages that bundle the TOI with one regional-language paper offer the best per-insertion cost for families who need notices in both. The savings are real β 15β25% compared to booking each paper separately β but only if you actually need both papers. A package that adds a paper nobody reads is not a saving. Ask your agency what the combined rate is for your specific city combination, then ask what each paper costs separately. Do the arithmetic yourself. It takes two minutes and it's the only way to know if the package is actually cheaper.
What are the cheapest obituary ad rates Times of India Bangalore 5 lines? β
At current rates, the cost for a single 5-line classified obituary in the Bangalore edition is around βΉ3,000-βΉ4,000. Sometimes through an agency accredited by TOI it can be as low as βΉ2,800-βΉ3,200, depending on the margin. The cheapest obituary ad rates in Bangalore are weekday bookings through TOI-accredited agencies - do not book on weekends if price is your critical concern.
What is an affordable obituary ad agency for Times of India Mumbai contact details? β
I'm not going to list contact details because they are subject to change and nobody needs the wrong number in this time of grief. Do a search for "TOI accredited obituary ad agency Mumbai", and look for agencies that advertise their TOI accreditation. And ask for quotations in writing. It takes an hour to call 2 or 3 and you can save βΉ500-βΉ1,500 on a standard obituary ad.
How to find cheapest obituary ad rates in TOI cities 2026? β
Call two agencies. Rates are subject to change every three months - nothing gets published fast enough to trust. Cheapest obituary ad rates in lower-net TOI editions such as Ahmedabad and Pune are 30-40% cheaper for the same space than Mumbai. If you have any flexibility on which TOI edition you choose, that's more than any discount you would get on the Mumbai rate.
What discounts are available for book obituary ads in Times of India? β
Three genuine ones: a multi-city combined rate (10-15% discount), the repeat client rate if you've used that ad agent before, and mid-week insertion rate if the time of insertion isn't critical. The TOI rate card does not have any "obituary discount". Anyone telling you there is is making up a line to take less than their original quote, which means they inflated the first quote.
How much does TOI obituary price vary by city? β
A lot. Pune and Chennai are 30-40% more per line than Ahmedabad. Delhi and Mumbai are similar. Hyderabad and Bangalore come next, Chennai and Pune are just behind. TOI ad rates reflect circulation and demand for each edition - not set in stone, but enough of a difference. If you only need your ad in one place, which city you choose is a more significant cost factor than discounts will be.
