Times of India Ad Rates Explained: ROL vs Display, City Pricing & Vernacular vs English Editions
If you've ever tried to plan a print classified ad campaign in India, the TOI rate card is probably the first document someone sends you — and the last one anyone properly explains.
The Times of India classified advertising rate card lists per-square-centimeter prices for display, run-on-line (ROL), and block forum ads across more than 20 Indian cities. Classified display ad rates in TOI Delhi sit at ₹1,100 per sq. cm. Bangalore comes in at ₹735. Bhopal at ₹110. Bhubaneswar at ₹63. Same newspaper brand. Very different numbers.
The card also covers vernacular publications from the Times Group — Vijay Karnataka, Navbharat Times, Maharashtra Times, Ei Samay — priced roughly 30–50% of the English edition in the same cities. Rates here are standard prices in force from July 2020, subject to negotiated discounts and your choice of edition, format, and add-ons.
Table of Contents
Times of India Rate Card: What the Numbers Actually Tell Advertisers
Delhi and Mumbai Cost a Lot More. The Gap Is Bigger Than You Think.
ROL vs Display vs Block Forum: They Don't Cost the Same
Vijay Karnataka Is a Different Calculation
Navbharat Times: Hindi Print at Serious Scale
Education Times Rates Are Not What Most People Expect
The Add-On Rate Structure Is Where the Real Decisions Live
Times of India Rate Card: What the Numbers Actually Tell Advertisers
Here's what the data actually means if you're spending money on it.
Delhi and Mumbai Cost a Lot More. The Gap Is Bigger Than You Think.
The numbers aren't just higher — the scale difference is something most advertisers don't anticipate until they see the first quote.
A Classified Display Single Column ad in Times of India Delhi runs at ₹1,100 per sq. cm base rate. The same format in Bhopal — same paper, just the Madhya Pradesh edition — is ₹110. That's a 10x price difference for identical ad inventory.
Mumbai is ₹760 for the main TOI edition. Bangalore ₹735. Chennai ₹550.
In practice: If you are running the same creative in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune and Jaipur, then half of your print budget can be consumed in Delhi. Not an exaggeration — that's the case more often than not, mathematically speaking.
One interesting point to note: the rates for add-on supplementary editions decrease at a lower rate as you go to smaller markets. The premium on add-ons tends to be higher in tier-2 cities. This is where the invoice may catch you off-guard if you're thinking about multi-edition bundles.
ROL vs Display vs Block Forum: They Don't Cost the Same
The rate card splits into three ad formats. Most advertisers treat them as interchangeable. They're not.
Classified Run on Line (ROL) is pure text — no visual, no logo. The cheapest format on a per-insertion basis. In Delhi TOI, the base ROL rate is ₹4,200. That sounds expensive until you realise it covers a much smaller physical space than a display ad.
Classified Display Single Column is the boxed ad with a headline, some copy, maybe a logo. Delhi TOI base: ₹1,100.
Block Forum and Multi Column are wider placements with more visual space. Delhi TOI Multi Column: ₹520 base. Block Forum: ₹475.
Here's where it gets interesting. In Delhi, the ROL base (₹4,200) is nearly four times the Display Single Column base (₹1,100). In Bangalore the ratio narrows to about 2.3x. ROL can look cheap per word. It isn't cheap per square centimeter.
If you're comparing cost-per-impression across formats, that ratio matters more than the headline number.
Vijay Karnataka Is a Different Calculation
The Vijay Karnataka editions — Kannada-language, Times Group — don't follow English TOI pricing logic.
Vijay Karnataka Bangalore classified display base: ₹350. TOI Bangalore classified display base: ₹735. Same city, same media conglomerate. Roughly half the price.
The real question here is the reach. VK is more popular than English TOI in semi-urban Karnataka. Local recruitment advertising, real estate or any category that targets Kannada-speaking households outside Bangalore's core tech belt could be a better value than the TOI rate card indicates, for education admissions.
The Hubli and Mangalore editions are priced separately and lower: ₹100 and ₹80 respectively at base for Single Column Display. If your business serves regional Karnataka, these aren't consolation placements. They're genuinely targeted options.
Navbharat Times: Hindi Print at Serious Scale
NBT Delhi — listed as "Delhi Times Masala Mix" in the SAP codes on the card — carries a Display Single Column base of ₹400. Lower than English TOI Delhi (₹1,100), but still substantial.
Lucknow and Mumbai NBT editions are priced similarly to their English-language counterparts in those cities. That's a fair reflection of how deep Hindi print readership runs in those markets.
One thing the card flags that's easy to miss: Gurgaon has separate NBT rates from Delhi. NBT Gurgaon base is ₹35. NBT Delhi is ₹400. If your campaign targets Gurgaon specifically — corporate audiences, residential housing — the localized edition is significantly more cost-efficient than the Delhi edition.
Education Times Rates Are Not What Most People Expect
This one surprises people.
Education Times supplements are priced at or near the parent TOI edition in several major markets. Delhi Education Times base: ₹1,100 — identical to the main paper. Mumbai Education Times: ₹450. Chennai: ₹550.
The Times Group treats Education Times as a premium placement, not a secondary one. For colleges, coaching institutes advertising in newspapers, and study abroad consultancies — you're not getting a discount for going supplement-only. At least not in the major markets.
Smaller versions of the Education Times are another matter. The base price of Jaipur Education Times is ₹53. Kanpur: ₹22. Much more affordable, and reaching audiences where print still has some relevance. If your school hires from around the country, it's important to know.
The Add-On Rate Structure Is Where the Real Decisions Live
Most editions list both a "Base" and "Add-on" rate. The add-on covers the supplementary run — regional splits, local inserts, combined edition buys.
In many cases the two are close. TOI Bangalore: Base ₹735, Add-on ₹684. The add-on is 93% of base — essentially a full-price regional split. No discount to speak of.
But some markets drop more sharply. TOI Bhubaneswar: Base ₹63, Add-on ₹53. TOI Coimbatore: Base ₹170, Add-on ₹95 — that's 56% of base. For advertisers targeting peripheral markets or regional splits, the add-on column is where negotiation room tends to exist. Don't skip it.
What the Rate Card Doesn't Tell You
A few things the numbers can't capture — and that affect whether the spend makes sense.
Circulation vs reach. Rates are set by the publisher. Actual readership per rupee varies, and the rate card doesn't give you cost per thousand readers. A ₹735 base in Bangalore might be better value than a ₹550 base in Chennai if TOI Bangalore circulation is proportionally larger. You'd need audited circulation data to compare properly.
Category performance. Matrimonial, real estate, recruitment, and education classifieds perform differently across formats and cities. The rate card treats them the same. Results don't.
Negotiation. These are published rates. Agencies and volume advertisers routinely negotiate — sometimes significantly. The base rates here are a ceiling, not a floor.
Digital context. This rate card reflects a pre-2022 print advertising environment. Print classifieds in India have lost significant ground to platforms like 99acres, Naukri, and Matrimony.com. The card is most relevant for categories — education notices, matrimonial, local business announcements — where print still holds specific demographic reach that digital doesn't replicate cleanly.
The Short Version
If you're planning a newspaper advertising campaign in India, here's what the data tells you:
Delhi and Mumbai are demand-premium inventory. Regional editions of the same paper can run at 10–15% of the metro rate. Vernacular papers — Vijay Karnataka, Navbharat Times, Maharashtra Times, Ei Samay — reach deeper audiences than their English counterparts at lower cost. Education Times is not discounted relative to the main paper in metro markets. The add-on rate column is where multi-city or multi-edition buying gets interesting — and where negotiation tends to produce results.
The rate card is a starting point. The numbers that actually drive a buying decision are readership figures, category fit, and what competitors in your segment are already running.
Ready to book your Times of India classified ad in Mumbai? Use the edition rate table above to shortlist your zones, then confirm current pricing and place your insertion order directly through Riyo Advertising — an authorised Times of India booking partner. One message gets you a confirmed rate, edition availability, and a reference number, without navigating the TOI booking desk yourself.
FAQ: Times of India Classified Ad Rates
Q1: What is the Times of India classified ad rate per sq cm in Delhi?
The TOI Delhi classified display ad rate is ₹1,100 per sq cm at base (standard published rate, in force from July 2020). ROL format in Delhi runs ₹4,200 base — a different calculation entirely.
Q2: Why is TOI advertising so much cheaper in smaller cities?
Demand and readership concentration. The Times of India newspaper ad rates by city reflect audience size and competition for ad inventory. Delhi and Mumbai command premium pricing because the advertiser pool is larger and circulation figures justify it. Bhopal at ₹110 is the same brand — different market depth. That's all.
Q3: Is Vijay Karnataka cheaper than Times of India for Bangalore ads?
Yes, by roughly half. Vijay Karnataka classified ad rates in Bangalore start at ₹350 base for Single Column Display versus ₹735 for English TOI. Whether that's better value depends on your target audience. If you're reaching Kannada-speaking households outside central Bangalore — VK is usually the smarter spend.
Q4: Are Education Times ad rates lower than the main paper?
Not in big cities. In Delhi, Education Times classified display rates match the main paper exactly at ₹1,100 base. Mumbai is ₹450. Do not think that you are getting a discount on the supplement — you are not.
Q5: Can I negotiate below the published TOI rate card?
Yes. The published rates are a maximum. Discounts are common for agencies, high volume bookings, and multi-edition campaigns. The base rates on the card are the starting point for discussion, not the end point. Get a quote — the actual rate you pay will vary based on timing, volume and who is booking.
Q6: What is a Run on Line (ROL) ad in Times of India?
There are no images in ROL classified ads in TOI. Charges per column centimeter. They can be the lowest cost on the surface, but the math per sq-cm can make them costly when compared to display for the same visual size. Good for wordy notices. Not suitable for visual purposes.
Q7: Which TOI editions are cheapest for regional advertising?
TOI Bhubaneswar (₹63 base), Bhopal (₹110), and Hubli/Mangalore editions of Vijay Karnataka (₹80–100) are among the lowest base rates on the card. For regional newspaper advertising in India, these editions offer targeting at a fraction of metro rates.
Internal links to add:
Times of India Classified Ad Rates Mumbai – Complete Guide
How to write an effective classified ad
Maharashtra Times classified ad rates Mumbai