According to PTI, the government has raised print media advertising rates by 26%, marking the first major price revision in five years. 

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the decision will strengthen government outreach while offering financial support to a sector that has faced rising costs and shrinking margins.

The revised framework lifts the black-and-white rate for dailies with a circulation of one lakh copies from INR 47.40 to INR 59.68 per square centimetre. 

The government has also accepted the Rate Structure Committee’s recommendations to introduce premium pricing for colour ads and preferred placement, a long-standing ask from publishers.

The Central Bureau of Communication, which handles advertising for all central ministries and departments, will adopt the new rates immediately. 

The last revision, based on the eighth Rate Structure Committee’s recommendations, came in January 2019 and was meant to remain valid for three years. 

The ninth committee, set up in November 2021, reviewed circulation tiers, cost escalations, and market changes before proposing the latest update.

The move is expected to have a direct impact on newsroom revenues at a time when newsprint costs and operational expenses have climbed.