Times of India Classified Ad Rates Lucknow: Complete Guide for 2026
Times of India Classified Ad Rates Lucknow: Complete Guide for 2026
Table of Contents
What Are Times of India Classified Ad Rates in Lucknow?
Why Does the Edition Choice Matter in Lucknow?
What Are All the TOI Lucknow Edition Rates?
Economic Times and Navbharat Times Rates in Lucknow
What Is the Difference Between TOI Lucknow and TOI Lucknow City Run?
How to Choose the Right Edition for a Lucknow Classified Ad
Common Mistakes When Booking a Lucknow TOI Classified Ad
What Are Times of India Classified Ad Rates in Lucknow?
Times of India classified ad rates in Lucknow vary by edition, zone, and format across more than 25 publications managed from this single booking hub. Rates start at ₹17 per sq cm for Times Plus Moradabad and reach ₹165 per sq cm for the main TOI Lucknow and TOI Lucknow City Run editions.
Lucknow is one of the most geographically diverse classified advertising markets in the Times Group network — covering all of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and cities as spread out as Agra, Dehradun, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, and Kanpur. All bookable from one point.
That breadth is useful. It also means more decisions before you book. Getting the edition wrong in a 25-edition network is easier than it sounds, and the rate difference between the right edition and the wrong one can be significant. TOI Lucknow at ₹165 per sq cm versus Lucknow Times at ₹90 per sq cm covers overlapping city audiences — and most local businesses don't need the more expensive one.
Why Does the Edition Choice Matter in Lucknow?
Because this group has more targeting options than any other in the Times network — and most advertisers use only two or three of them.
TOI Lucknow and TOI Lucknow City Run are both ₹165 per sq cm — the most premium English classified options in the region.
Three dedicated Education editions — Education Times Lucknow, Education Times Kanpur, and Education Plus Lucknow Upcountry — make Lucknow the strongest education-advertising hub in the TOI network.
Zonal Plus inserts — Gorakhpur Plus, Haridwar Plus, Jhansi Plus, Kumaon Plus, Times Plus Moradabad — offer hyperlocal reach at ₹19–₹25 per sq cm, among the lowest rates in the entire Times Group.
Navbharat Times Lucknow at ₹91 per sq cm is the dominant Hindi-language classified platform in UP. Any Lucknow campaign that skips NBT is reaching only the English-reading minority.
What Are All the TOI Lucknow Edition Rates?
State and City Split Editions
| Edition | Code | Base Rate (₹/sq cm) | Add-on (₹/sq cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Times of India – Lucknow | TOIL | 165 | 149 |
| Times of India – Lucknow City Run | TOILC | 165 | 149 |
| Times of India – Kanpur | TOIKN | 60 | 54 |
| Times of India – Delhi–West Uttarakhand | TOIWUTK | 110 | 100 |
| Times of India – Lucknow @ Allahabad Varanasi | ALLVAR | 55 | 50 |
| Times of India – Agra | TOIWAGR | 44 | 39 |
| Times of India – Bareilly | TOIWBLY | 50 | 45 |
| Times of India – Dehradun | TOIWDEH | 70 | 63 |
| Times of India – Meerut | TOIWMEP | 50 | 45 |
City Supplement Editions
| Edition | Code | Base Rate (₹/sq cm) | Add-on (₹/sq cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucknow Times | LT | 90 | 81 |
| Kanpur Times | KNP | 35 | 32 |
| Allahabad Times | ALP | 35 | 32 |
| Varanasi Times | VART | 40 | 35 |
| Doon Times of India | DP | 40 | 36 |
| Bareilly Times of India | SPBL | 34 | 31 |
| Agra Times | AP | 26 | 24 |
Zonal Plus Inserts
| Edition | Code | Base Rate (₹/sq cm) | Add-on (₹/sq cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gorakhpur Plus – Lucknow | GORP | 25 | 21 |
| Haridwar Plus – Lucknow | HRWP | 23 | 21 |
| Jhansi Plus – Lucknow | JHPL | 22 | 20 |
| Kumaon Plus – Lucknow | KMPL | 22 | 20 |
| Times Plus (Moradabad) | MOP | 19 | 17 |
Education Editions
| Edition | Code | Base Rate (₹/sq cm) | Add-on (₹/sq cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education Times – Lucknow | EDPL | 70 | 63 |
| Education Plus – Lucknow Upcountry (All, Var & GKP) | EDPUP | 55 | 50 |
| Education Times – Kanpur | EDTKN | 40 | 35 |
Rates are in force from July 9, 2020, for Classified Display Block Forum format. Always confirm current rates with the TOI Lucknow booking desk before placing your order.
Economic Times and Navbharat Times Rates in Lucknow
The Times Group publishes The Economic Times and Navbharat Times in Lucknow alongside the TOI editions.
ET Lucknow targets business and professional readers at ₹35 per sq cm — less than a quarter of the TOI Lucknow rate. Navbharat Times Lucknow at ₹91 per sq cm is the primary Hindi-language classified platform in UP. The NBT rate is higher than most TOI city supplements in the region, which reflects how large and engaged the Hindi readership base actually is.
| Publication | Edition | Code | Base Rate (₹/sq cm) | Add-on (₹/sq cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Economic Times | Lucknow | ETL | 35 | 32 |
| Navbharat Times | Lucknow | NBTL | 91 | 82 |
Dual-language city coverage — TOI Lucknow plus Navbharat Times — runs approximately ₹256 per sq cm combined. For campaigns targeting a broad Lucknow audience across both English and Hindi readers, that combination covers the city properly. Single-language booking in Lucknow leaves a large portion of the readership unreached either way.
What Is the Difference Between TOI Lucknow and TOI Lucknow City Run?
Both are priced identically at ₹165 per sq cm base and ₹149 per sq cm add-on. The difference is distribution scope.
TOI Lucknow (TOIL) is the main edition distributed across the wider Lucknow zone — it reaches beyond the city into surrounding areas. TOI Lucknow City Run (TOILC) is contained to Lucknow city readers only. No upcountry distribution.
For a city-specific campaign — a local business, a property in central Lucknow, a college admission announcement — the City Run edition means you're not paying for distribution outside the city. For statewide or zone-wide reach, the main edition is the right choice. Same price, different scope. Worth clarifying with the booking desk before confirming.
How to Choose the Right Edition for a Lucknow Classified Ad
With 25-plus editions, the decision tree matters more here than in any other city in this series.
Steps before booking:
Define your geography precisely — Lucknow city only, a specific UP city like Kanpur or Varanasi, statewide UP, or a cross-state UP-Uttarakhand campaign?
Choose your language — English (TOI, ET), Hindi (Navbharat Times), or both for full city reach.
Match the edition to your ad category — education ads to Education Times Lucknow or Education Times Kanpur, business recruitment to ET Lucknow, statewide government and real estate to TOI Lucknow, hyperlocal services to city supplements and Plus inserts.
Compare state editions vs city supplements — TOI Kanpur at ₹60 per sq cm has broader state-level distribution; Kanpur Times at ₹35 per sq cm is the more affordable city supplement. For a Kanpur city-only campaign, the supplement is often the right call.
Use Plus inserts for hyperlocal reach — Gorakhpur, Haridwar, Jhansi, Kumaon, and Moradabad Plus editions at ₹19–₹25 per sq cm are among the most affordable placements in the Times Group. Most advertisers expanding into secondary UP cities miss these entirely.
Book Education editions during admission season — Education Times Lucknow, Education Plus Upcountry, and Education Times Kanpur together cover the entire UP education audience. Peak season is January to June.
Common Mistakes When Booking a Lucknow TOI Classified Ad
The most common errors: paying for TOI Lucknow when Lucknow Times covers the same city audience at nearly half the cost, and skipping Navbharat Times entirely.
- ❌ Booking TOI Lucknow at ₹165 per sq cm for city-level campaigns — Lucknow Times at ₹90 per sq cm delivers similar city reach. The ₹75 per sq cm difference adds up quickly on any reasonable ad size.
- ❌ Ignoring Navbharat Times Lucknow — Hindi is the dominant language of UP. Skipping NBT means missing the majority of Lucknow's readership, regardless of how well the English editions are placed.
- ❌ Using TOI Lucknow for upcountry UP cities — TOI Kanpur, TOI Agra, TOI Bareilly, and TOI Meerut each have dedicated editions at lower rates for those geographies. Don't pay for Lucknow distribution when you need Kanpur.
- ❌ Overlooking zonal Plus inserts — at ₹19–₹25 per sq cm, Gorakhpur Plus, Jhansi Plus, Kumaon Plus, and Times Plus Moradabad are some of the most affordable classified placements in the Times Group. Frequently missed.
- ❌ Booking city supplements for education ads instead of dedicated Education editions — Education Times Lucknow classified rate at ₹70 per sq cm and Education Times Kanpur at ₹40 per sq cm reach a far more targeted student and parent audience than any general supplement.
- ❌ Missing edition-specific deadlines — with 25-plus editions, each has its own cut-off. Confirm the deadline for every edition in your booking before submitting.
How Much Does a TOI Classified Ad in Lucknow Actually Cost?
A Times of India Lucknow classified display ad costs between ₹102 and ₹990 for a 6 sq cm insertion, depending on the edition. That range makes Lucknow one of the most flexible classified markets in India — workable for micro-local campaigns on minimal budgets and premium statewide campaigns alike.
| Scenario | Edition | Size | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most affordable hyperlocal | Times Plus Moradabad | 6 sq cm | ~₹102–₹114 |
| Zonal Plus hyperlocal | Jhansi Plus / Kumaon Plus | 6 sq cm | ~₹120–₹132 |
| Haridwar / Gorakhpur local | Haridwar Plus / Gorakhpur Plus | 6 sq cm | ~₹126–₹150 |
| Agra city supplement | Agra Times | 6 sq cm | ~₹144–₹156 |
| Bareilly / Allahabad / Kanpur supplement | Bareilly TOI / Allahabad Times / Kanpur Times | 6 sq cm | ~₹186–₹210 |
| Business audience | ET Lucknow | 6 sq cm | ~₹192–₹210 |
| Varanasi / Doon city | Varanasi Times / Doon Times | 6 sq cm | ~₹210–₹240 |
| Education – Kanpur | Education Times Kanpur | 6 sq cm | ~₹210–₹240 |
| Education – upcountry | Education Plus Upcountry | 6 sq cm | ~₹300–₹330 |
| TOI Agra state split | TOI Agra | 6 sq cm | ~₹234–₹264 |
| TOI Bareilly / Meerut split | TOI Bareilly / TOI Meerut | 6 sq cm | ~₹270–₹300 |
| TOI Allahabad Varanasi split | TOI Lucknow @ Allahabad Varanasi | 6 sq cm | ~₹300–₹330 |
| TOI Kanpur state split | TOI Kanpur | 6 sq cm | ~₹324–₹360 |
| Education Times Lucknow | Education Times Lucknow | 6 sq cm | ~₹378–₹420 |
| Hindi city reach | Navbharat Times Lucknow | 6 sq cm | ~₹492–₹546 |
| Dehradun / Uttarakhand | TOI Dehradun | 6 sq cm | ~₹378–₹420 |
| Lucknow city supplement | Lucknow Times | 6 sq cm | ~₹486–₹540 |
| West Uttarakhand statewide | TOI Delhi–West Uttarakhand | 6 sq cm | ~₹600–₹660 |
| Premium Lucknow city | TOI Lucknow / TOI Lucknow City Run | 6 sq cm | ~₹894–₹990 |
All three Education editions together — Education Times Lucknow, Education Plus Upcountry, and Education Times Kanpur — cost approximately ₹990 per 6 sq cm combined. That covers the full UP education audience across Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, and Gorakhpur in one booking conversation.
FAQ: Times of India Classified Ad Rates Lucknow
Q1: What is the cheapest TOI edition for classified ads in the Lucknow region?
Times Plus Moradabad (MOP) at ₹17–₹19 per sq cm. After that, Jhansi Plus and Kumaon Plus at ₹20–₹22 per sq cm, then Haridwar Plus at ₹21–₹23 per sq cm. These zonal Plus insert classified rates are among the lowest in the entire Times Group network. Right for hyperlocal campaigns targeting specific UP and Uttarakhand cities without paying for broader distribution.
Q2: What is the difference between TOI Lucknow and Lucknow Times?
TOI Lucknow (TOIL) is the main broadsheet at ₹165 per sq cm — wide Lucknow zone distribution. Lucknow Times (LT) is the city supplement at ₹90 per sq cm — urban Lucknow readers, lifestyle and city content focus. For statewide or wide-zone reach, TOI Lucknow. For city-specific campaigns where the supplement audience is sufficient, Lucknow Times is nearly half the cost. Most local businesses should start with Lucknow Times and move up only if the campaign requires statewide reach.
Q3: Which edition should education advertisers choose in Lucknow?
Three dedicated options. Education Times Lucknow (EDPL) classified rate at ₹70 per sq cm covers Lucknow city. Education Plus Upcountry (EDPUP) at ₹55 per sq cm covers Allahabad, Varanasi, and Gorakhpur. Education Times Kanpur (EDTKN) at ₹40 per sq cm covers Kanpur. Book all three together during January–June admission season for complete UP education-audience coverage. Don't substitute a general city supplement — the Education editions reach students and parents specifically, not a general urban readership.
Q4: How do I reach readers in Varanasi, Allahabad, and Gorakhpur from Lucknow?
Two routes for each city. State split editions: TOI Lucknow @ Allahabad Varanasi (ALLVAR) covers both cities at ₹55 per sq cm. City supplements: Allahabad Times at ₹35 per sq cm and Varanasi Times at ₹40 per sq cm are more affordable for city-only targeting. For Gorakhpur, Gorakhpur Plus zonal insert classified rate is ₹25 per sq cm — cheapest option. Education Plus Upcountry covers all three cities for education-category ads in a single booking.
Q5: Is Navbharat Times Lucknow worth the higher rate compared to ET Lucknow?
Depends entirely on what you're advertising. NBT Lucknow at ₹91 per sq cm reaches UP's majority Hindi readership — consumers, retail audiences, families. ET Lucknow at ₹35 per sq cm reaches business professionals and finance audiences. For recruitment, B2B, and finance categories, ET is the right call at a much lower cost. For anything targeting general Lucknow consumers — real estate, education, retail, local services — NBT is not optional. The Hindi readership in UP is too large to skip.
Q6: Can I reach Dehradun and Uttarakhand readers from Lucknow?
Yes. TOI Dehradun (TOIWDEH) at ₹70 per sq cm is the state split for Dehradun. TOI Delhi–West Uttarakhand (TOIWUTK) at ₹110 per sq cm covers wider West Uttarakhand reach. For hyperlocal placements, Haridwar Plus (HRWP) at ₹23 per sq cm and Kumaon Plus (KMPL) at ₹22 per sq cm are the most affordable Uttarakhand options in the group. Doon Times of India (DP) at ₹40 per sq cm is the Dehradun city supplement equivalent. All bookable from Lucknow.
Q7: Are TOI Lucknow classified ad rates negotiable?
Published rates are standard. Multi-edition bookings across the UP-Uttarakhand network sometimes qualify for bundled pricing. Ask before confirming separate insertion orders. Get any agreed rate in writing.
Which Times of India Lucknow Edition Should You Choose?
Times of India classified ads in Lucknow span one of the broadest edition networks in the Times Group — from ₹17 per sq cm zonal Plus inserts to ₹165 per sq cm premium city editions across UP and Uttarakhand.
For premium city-wide English reach, TOI Lucknow or Lucknow City Run. For affordable city targeting, Lucknow Times at ₹90 per sq cm. For upcountry UP campaigns, city supplements and zonal Plus inserts cover each city at a fraction of the main edition rates. For education advertisers, all three Education editions during admission season. And for any campaign targeting a broad Lucknow audience — Navbharat Times is not optional.
Always verify current rates directly with the TOI Lucknow booking desk before placing your order. The rate card has been in force since July 2020 and may have been updated.
Next steps:
Map your target geographies across UP and Uttarakhand to the correct edition codes using the rate tables above.
Compare Block Forum and city supplement rates for each city — supplements are often significantly more affordable than state split editions for city-level reach.
Contact the TOI Lucknow booking desk or place your order through Riyo Advertising — an authorised Times of India booking partner covering UP, Uttarakhand, and all Lucknow-managed editions. They confirm rates, handle the insertion order, and send you a reference number without navigating the TOI desk yourself.
Planning a classified ad campaign across Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand? Use the edition rate tables above to build your multi-city plan, then confirm current pricing and book directly through Riyo Advertising.
Internal links to add:
Times of India Classified Ad Rates Mumbai – Complete Guide
Times of India Classified Ad Rates Pune – Complete Guide
Times of India Classified Ad Rates Patna – Complete Guide
External links to add:
