Last updated · reviewed by the Essentras editorial team
Press release distribution by country
Press release distribution in India: wires, prices and outlets
In India you send a press release through a wire such as Business Wire India, PR Newswire India or NewsVoir, which quote per project, or you pay a named outlet to publish it. Essentras lists 197 Indian outlets, median $663. Paid content that looks like news must be labelled as advertising.
Sources: each wire's own page, ASCI, the Press Council of India, the CCPA, CSIR-NPL, the Constitution and 197 Indian listings in the Essentras API
What you will do
- See what the Indian wires publish about price today, and which ones only quote.
- Check 22 named Indian titles with price, turnaround and label, from news agencies to national dailies.
- Pick 1 of 3 baskets quoted today ($1,790.10, $7,472.35 or $4,905.90) or build your own.
- Label paid content the way ASCI and the Press Council of India expect.
- Time the release in IST and plan for Hindi and other Indian languages.
Start here in 1 click
Every Indian listing sorted by price, a national daily that runs a label, and a free shortlist. None needs an account.
Indian outlets, cheapest first
Every Indian listing with its price, turnaround, link policy and label, before you pay.
- Listings
- 197
- Median price
- $663
- At $500 or less
- 62
- Run a label
- 50 of 197
Hindustan Times
$1,595
- Turnaround
- 1 to 2 weeks
- Label
- Published with a sponsored or partner label.
- Link
- Dofollow
AI Match: a shortlist for your release
Free. Describe your company in 1 sentence and get a ranked list of Indian and global outlets, with the price next to each.
Paid placements are paid: they are not earned coverage, and each runs with the label its listing states. Counts and prices from the public API, 4 Nov 2026.
Indian wires
Press release distribution services in India and what they charge
India's wires send your release to newsrooms and post it on partner portals; editors decide on coverage. The ones read here quote per project. Here is what each publishes, read on 4 Nov 2026.
| Service | What it says it does | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| Business Wire India | Distribution to 6,000+ registered journalists and 1,500+ news portals, including through PTI, ANI and UNI, as it states. | No price list: the pricing page is a payment form for a quoted amount, plus GST at 18% |
| NewsVoir | Indian wire. Its FAQ says a 2-page release takes about 30 to 40 minutes to process in working hours, plus 10 minutes per image. | Custom pricing; projects range from ₹10,000 to ₹5,00,000, depending on scale |
| PR Newswire India (Cision) | Indian and international circuits. | No published price: quote form |
| EIN Presswire | Global wire; India is among the country targets, 1 or 2 per release depending on the package. | $149 for 1 release, $499 for 5, $999 for 15; no India price |
| ANI (Asian News International) | Its products page lists live, video and text services, no release product. Partner releases on aninews.in end with an "ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER" naming the provider. | No published price |
| IANS | Its about page lists 6 business lines; release distribution is not among them. | No published price |
- Read on each vendor's own page on 4 Nov 2026. PR Newswire India's page timed out, so it was read in an Internet Archive copy of 20 Apr 2026.
- PTI's site did not load for our reader, so nothing is claimed about a PTI release service or price. Paid releases do appear on Indian news sites under agency tags, with a disclaimer that the agency takes no editorial responsibility.
- IndiaPRwire's domain did not resolve on 4 Nov 2026.
- Lists of "free press release submission sites in India" mostly name directories. Check who reads a site before you spend time on it.
Indian outlets
Indian news sites you can publish on, with price, turnaround and label
A paid placement buys an article on 1 named site, at the price and with the label its listing states. Essentras lists 197 Indian outlets; 147 state no label and 50 a sponsored or partner label. Below: the whole set in numbers, then 22 national, business and language titles, cheapest first.
| Measure | Indian listings |
|---|---|
| Listings | 197 |
| Price range | $109 to $31,742 |
| Median price | $663 (middle 50% of listings: $433 to $1,367) |
| At $500 or less | 62 |
| At $2,500 or less | 172 |
| Label | 147 state no label and 50 a sponsored or partner label |
| Stated turnaround | 107 in business days, 3 in 1 week, 32 in up to 3 weeks, 51 in up to 4 weeks, 4 in more than 4 weeks |
| Dofollow link | 155 of 197 |
- Turnaround is counted in business days, paused while we are waiting on you, plus a 3 business day grace period, as every listing states it.
- The country is the country field of each listing in the API. A few listings under a country are niche or regional sites; the named table below shows news and business titles.
| Outlet | Price | Turnaround | Label, as the listing states it | Link | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aninews.in | $638 | 1 to 2 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Dofollow | |
| The Tribune India | $667 | 1 to 3 business days | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| The Freepress Journal | $684 | 1 to 2 weeks | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Nofollow | |
| United News Of India | $780 | 1 to 2 weeks | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Dofollow | |
| Deccanherald.com | $823 | 4 weeks or more | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| Dnaindia.com | $867 | 4 weeks or more | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| TheStatesman | $957 | 3 to 7 business days | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Nofollow | |
| Zeenews India | $1,094 | 1 to 2 weeks | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Nofollow | |
| IB Times (India) | $1,167 | 3 to 5 business days | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Nofollow | |
| Telegraphindia.com | $1,203 | 2 to 4 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| Zeebiz.com | $1,257 | 2 to 4 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| Outlook India | $1,500 | 1 week | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Nofollow | |
| Hindustan Times | $1,595 | 1 to 2 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Dofollow | |
| TheHindu.com | $1,732 | 1 to 2 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| The Print | $1,778 | 3 to 7 business days | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| Live Mint | $1,823 | 1 week | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| Ndtv.com | $1,863 | 1 to 2 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| Business World | $2,097 | 3 to 7 business days | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Nofollow | |
| Thehindubusinessline.com | $2,097 | 2 to 4 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| Newindianexpress.com | $2,963 | 2 to 4 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Dofollow | |
| News18 Hindi | $5,469 | 1 to 2 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | Hindi |
| CNBC TV 18 | $25,384 | 1 to 2 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow |
- Every listing: Published or your money back. Refund or free re-placement if the turnaround is missed, counted in business days with a grace period.
- Language notes come from the outlet name. The full Indian list, with filters for price, label and link, is in the publisher directory.
Quoted today
3 Indian baskets, priced by the quote API
Each basket was priced as a whole on the read date, so the total includes the volume discount the API applied. Use a basket as is or as a starting point.
| Basket | Outlets (price each) | Subtotal | Discount | Total quoted | Cart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National starterA news agency site and 2 daily newspaper sites, under $2,000 | Aninews.in ($638), The Tribune India ($667), The Freepress Journal ($684) | $1,989 | -$198.90 (10% volume discount) | $1,790.10 | Add all 3 to cart |
| Labelled national news brands5 national news brands, each running a sponsored or partner label, at 15% off | Hindustan Times ($1,595), TheHindu.com ($1,732), Live Mint ($1,823), Ndtv.com ($1,863), The Print ($1,778) | $8,791 | -$1,318.65 (15% volume discount) | $7,472.35 | Add all 5 to cart |
| Business pressBusiness and finance readers | Business World ($2,097), Thehindubusinessline.com ($2,097), Zeebiz.com ($1,257) | $5,451 | -$545.10 (10% volume discount) | $4,905.90 | Add all 3 to cart |
- Totals from POST /api/agent/v1/quote on 4 Nov 2026. A quote reserves nothing and charges nothing; the cart shows the same total.
- Volume discount, as the API states it: Buy 3 or more placements for 10% off the basket, 5 or more for 15%.
- Refund terms on every listing: Refunded if not published, or if the turnaround is missed.
- National starter: 2 a sponsored or partner label, 1 no label, as each listing states it.
- Labelled national news brands: 5 a sponsored or partner label, as each listing states it.
- Business press: 2 a sponsored or partner label, 1 no label, as each listing states it.
Labelling rules
The Indian rules on labelling paid content
In India, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) sets the self-regulatory code, the Press Council of India sets norms for newspapers, and the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) enforces the consumer law guidelines. Here is what each says.
| Rule | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ASCI Code, definitions | An advertisement is a paid-for communication, including material the public may not recognise as an ad when the advertiser paid for or approved it. | ASCI Code, October 2026 edition, ascionline.in |
| ASCI, Disguised Ads | Ads formatted like editorial or organic content must clearly disclose that they are ads. Paid reviews and ads placed to look like editorial are examples. | ASCI Guidelines for Online Deceptive Design Patterns, item 4 (issued 11 May 2023, applicable from 1 Sep 2023) |
| ASCI Code, clause 1.8 | Ads on media companies' social media accounts must be clearly identifiable and distinguishable from editorial content, with the disclosure upfront. | ASCI Code, Chapter I (clause dated 10 Jul 2025) |
| Press Council of India, norms 2(i) and 2(xxvi) | "Advertisements must be clearly distinguishable from news content carried in the newspaper." Advertorials that look like news must carry the heading "Advertisement/ Advertorials" in bold. | Norms of Journalistic Conduct, 2022 edition (PIB copy) |
| CCPA Guidelines 2022, guideline 14 | Where an endorser has a material connection with the advertiser, the connection must be fully disclosed in the endorsement. | Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements, notified 9 Jun 2022 |
What this means for a paid placement in India
A paid article you control is an advertisement under the ASCI Code, so it must not pass as news. Of the 197 Indian listings, 50 state a sponsored or partner label. For promotional copy, pick a labelled listing, or put the label you need ("Advertisement" or "Advertorial") in your brief and confirm it before you pay. This is not legal advice.
Time and language
IST and India's languages: when and how to send
India is on 1 time zone, IST (UTC+5:30), so a release lands at the same local time in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. Language matters more than time: the Constitution lists 22 languages, and Hindi and English are both used for official purposes.
| City | Local time | Offset today |
|---|---|---|
| Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru | 10:00 | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Dubai | 08:30 | UTC+4 |
| London | 04:30 | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| Sydney | 15:30 | UTC+11 (daylight saving until 4 Apr 2027) |
| Toronto and Montreal | 23:30 the day before | UTC-5 |
- Sources: CSIR-NPL (IST), gov.uk, and the governments of the UAE, New South Wales and Quebec; CP24 for Ontario (30 Oct 2026). All read 4 Nov 2026.
22 scheduled languages
The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution lists 22 languages, from Assamese to Urdu. A release for Hindi, Tamil or Telugu readers works best written in that language, not machine translated.
Hindi and English
Article 343 makes Hindi in Devanagari script the official language of the Union, and the Official Languages Act lets English be used as well. In the Essentras catalog, 177 of the 197 Indian listings state English.
Send in the Indian morning
Schedule for the Indian morning, IST, so the release is waiting when newsrooms start. From Europe or America, that means sending overnight your time.
Language editions in the catalog
The catalog includes Indian titles in Hindi and other languages, such as News18 Hindi at $5,469 and Telugu Latestly at $4,693.
Which route
Wire, paid placement or pitching: which route fits an Indian release
The routes buy different things. You can use a wire for reach across portals and a paid placement for an article on a named national title.
| Route | What you get | Cost | Who decides if it runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wire | Your release sent to newsrooms and posted on partner portals | Quote per project; NewsVoir says ₹10,000 to ₹5,00,000 | Editors decide on coverage; partner portals post the release as a release |
| Paid placement | An article on 1 named site, with writing available, a draft to review and a live link | From $109; median $663 across 197 Indian listings | You buy the slot and review the draft. The listing states: Published or your money back. Refund or free re-placement if the turnaround is missed, counted in business days with a grace period. |
| Pitching journalists | Earned coverage, if a journalist picks the story | Your time, or an agency fee | The journalist and the editor; nothing can be bought |
Mumbai media coverage without a retainer How to distribute a press release What press release distribution costs
Step by step
How to distribute a press release in India, step by step
1. Decide the audience and the language
National business readers read English; regional readers often read Hindi or a state language. Write a separate version for each language you need.
2. Write it the Indian way
A dateline with the city (for example "MUMBAI, India"), amounts in rupees, a quote from a named person and a contact who answers in IST.
3. Get quotes from 2 or 3 wires
Business Wire India, PR Newswire India and NewsVoir quote per project. Ask what the circuit includes and whether GST is added.
4. Pick named outlets for the article
Filter the Indian listings by price, label and turnaround. For promotional copy, choose a listing that runs a label.
5. Send in the Indian morning
Schedule for the morning, IST (UTC+5:30), on a working day.
6. Follow up and keep the proof
Answer journalists the same day. For paid placements, keep the live link and screenshot each listing provides.
Templates
Copy-ready Indian release header, pitch and placement brief
Replace everything in square brackets, and put the news and the number in the first line.
Indian release header
The first lines of a release for an Indian wire or a newsroom inbox.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [Headline: what happened, in under 12 words] [CITY], India, [Date] [Month] [Year]: [Company], [what it does in 6 words], today [announced / launched / reported] [the news in 1 sentence, with the number that matters, in rupees if it is money]. [Second paragraph: why it matters to Indian readers or businesses.] "[Quote from a named person, 1 or 2 sentences.]" said [Name], [Title] at [Company]. Media contact: [Name], [Email], [+91 phone number], available [hours] IST
Pitch email to an Indian journalist
For a reporter who covers your sector. Send it in the morning, IST.
Subject: [The news in under 10 words] ([Sector], [City]) Hi [First name], [1 sentence: the news and the number behind it.] Why your readers: [1 sentence linking it to a story they ran, or to an Indian trend they cover]. I can offer [an interview with Name / the data set / photos] today, in English or [Hindi / other language]. The release is below. [Your name] [Phone]
Brief for a paid Indian placement
What to send with a paid placement order, so the article runs labelled and on time.
Outlet: [listing name] Label: [the label the listing states, or the wording you need, for example "Advertorial"] Language: [English / Hindi / other] Angle: [the news in 1 sentence] Key facts: [3 facts with sources] Quote: [1 quote from a named person] Link: [1 URL] Deadline: [date], counted from the order in business days Approver: [name and email]
Often added to Indian distribution, and cheaper ways to start
Optional. You can do everything on this page without any of these.
Often added
The Guaranteed 7 (US reach)
From $999
For a launch that needs US reach as well as Indian coverage: your story on 7 named US outlets, including MSN, USA Today and AP News. Published on all 7, or your money back.
See the Guaranteed 7AI Visibility Tracker
$49 a month
Checks every week whether AI assistants mention your brand, so you can see what the coverage changed.
Track AI mentions
Not ready yet?
Press Monthly
$97 a month
1 press placement every month. The outlet is matched to your niche and shown to you before anyone writes.
See Press MonthlyAI Match shortlist
Free
Describe your company in 1 sentence and get a ranked list of outlets that fit, with the price next to each.
Get my free shortlistFree press release distribution
Free
The free routes that still work, what they reach and where they stop.
Read the free guide
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much does press release distribution cost in India?▾
Indian wires mostly quote per project: NewsVoir says its projects range from ₹10,000 to ₹5,00,000, and Business Wire India adds GST at 18% to its quote (read 4 Nov 2026). A paid article on a named Indian site costs $109 to $31,742 in the Essentras catalog, median $663.
What are the best press release distribution services in India?▾
It depends on the job. For reach across Indian portals, Business Wire India, PR Newswire India and NewsVoir are the established wires, and all 3 quote per project. For an article on a named national title, a paid placement buys the exact title, price and label up front.
Are there free press release sites in India?▾
Free submission sites exist, but most are directories with few readers, and on 4 Nov 2026 the search results for them were mostly lists and directories. A free post rarely reaches Indian newsrooms. Pitching journalists yourself is the free route that can lead to real coverage.
Do paid articles in India need a label?▾
If the content is paid for and looks like editorial, yes. ASCI says ads formatted like editorial must clearly disclose that they are ads, and the Press Council of India asks newspapers to head advertorials "Advertisement/ Advertorials". Each Essentras listing states its label before you pay.
What time should I send a press release in India?▾
In the morning, IST (UTC+5:30), on a working day. 10am in India is 4:30am in London and 8:30am in Dubai this winter.
Can I distribute a press release in Hindi or other Indian languages?▾
Yes. Write a separate version for each language rather than relying on machine translation. The catalog includes Hindi and other language titles, such as News18 Hindi ($5,469).
How fast do paid placements go live in India?▾
Each listing states its own window. 110 of the 197 Indian listings state 1 week or less, counted in business days, paused while we are waiting on you, plus a 3 business day grace period. Aninews.in, for example, states 1 to 2 weeks.
Can Indian coverage be guaranteed?▾
Not by a wire or a pitch: editors decide. A paid placement is bought, and its only guarantee is the refund. Every listing states: Published or your money back. Refund or free re-placement if the turnaround is missed, counted in business days with a grace period.
Next steps
- 01
Pick the route
A wire for reach across portals, a paid placement for a named Indian title, or both.
- 02
Choose the language
English for national business readers; Hindi or a state language for regional readers.
- 03
Shortlist Indian outlets
Filter by price, label and turnaround, or start from 1 of the 3 quoted baskets.
- 04
Send in the Indian morning
Schedule in IST, and check the label before you pay.
Browse Indian outlets with live prices
197 Indian listings, each with its price, turnaround, link policy and label stated before you pay.
Browse Indian outlets Compare other countriesChecked on . Wire pages, rules, time and language sources were read that day. Essentras prices, labels and basket totals come from the public API on the same day.
Sources
- Business Wire India, pricing (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Business Wire India, news distribution (read 4 Nov 2026)
- NewsVoir, press release distribution (read 4 Nov 2026)
- NewsVoir, FAQs (read 4 Nov 2026)
- PR Newswire India, membership form (Internet Archive copy of 20 Apr 2026; live page timed out on 4 Nov 2026)
- EIN Presswire, pricing (read 4 Nov 2026)
- ANI, products (read 4 Nov 2026)
- IANS, about us (read 4 Nov 2026)
- ASCI, the ASCI Code (read 4 Nov 2026)
- ASCI, Codes and Guidelines book, October 2026 edition (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Press Council of India, Norms of Journalistic Conduct, 2022 edition, PIB copy (read 4 Nov 2026)
- CCPA, Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements, 2022 (Internet Archive copy; live site did not load on 4 Nov 2026)
- CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Indian Standard Time (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Constitution of India, as on 1 May 2024, Legislative Department (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Essentras public API, Indian listings (read 4 Nov 2026)
Prices, rules and terms change. Check each source before you buy. This page is general information, not legal advice. Paid placements are advertising bought from the outlet and run with the label each listing states.