Kumbh Mela: High ad rates stopping brands from taking the plunge?

The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 is slated to take place at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh from Jan 13 to Feb 26. The fair, believed to be the world’s largest spiritual gathering, expected to draw over 50 crore attendees from across the world over 45 days. Though this presents a massive opportunity for brands to engage directly with huge captive audiences, advertisers are treading cautiously so far. Reason: The Advertising rates for the mela are reported to be significantly higher than the usual advertising costs in Prayagraj. 

“Most of the inventory at Kumbh is priced 8-10 times higher than the usual ad rates in Prayagraj, leaving us undecided at the moment,” says a top FMCG advertiser. 

For instance, hoardings-flex, available in an inventory of 300 units, are priced at ₹10 lakh each for the entire mela period. Similarly, a gantry/box gate, with an inventory of 50 units, comes at a steep ₹25 lakh per unit. Even smaller-scale options like electric poles are priced at ₹30,000 each, as per the rate list quoted by Shreyas Media. e4m has a copy of the rate card. 

Hyderabad-based Shreyas Media has bagged the advertising rights for the Kumbh Mela premises spread across 5,000 acres in and around the river Ganges, Yamuna and their confluence- Sangam-in the city of Prayagraj where millions of devotees will take dip during the fair. 

While Pune-based Vritti advertising and Delhi-based The Crayons Network have bagged advertising rights for LED vehicles and accommodations (including tents) respectively, Shreyas holds the lion’s share with about 80 percent inventory. 

“A hefty investment is required for on-ground visibility during the Kumbh Mela, making it a challenging decision for brands who are already reeling under economic constraints this fiscal year,” marketers told e4m. 

Besides, most brands had already spent a huge amount during general elections and a few state elections. Hence, we are not in a position to invest in Kumbh at this cost. We would consider it if rates are rationalised, several marketers said. 

Advertising agencies acknowledge that the pricing has caused apprehension among their clients. “Kumbh is definitely a landmark event and brands aspire to be visible there. However, the branding options available so far are a bit costlier than the budget provisions of the brands for such events,” says Atul Shrivastava, CEO of Laqshya Media. 

With an estimated event budget of Rs 6,300 crore and an estimated footfall of 50 crore, the Mela offers great branding opportunities for businesses to connect emotionally with attendees with their branding, activations and on-ground activities, industry experts say. 

The footfall represents a cross-section of India’s population, making it a fertile ground for awareness campaigns, for FMCG, two wheelers and financial services brands catering to both rural and urban consumers. However, brand heads remain sceptical, citing tepid rural demand this fiscal year.

Kumbh no less than IPL in terms of ROI: Shreyas Media 

When asked about the perceived high advertising rates, Gopu Vijay Kumar Reddy, Executive Director of Shreyas Group, told e4m, “Kumbh Mela is a marquee event with immense market potential. For context, over 63 crore people watched IPL last season, primarily urban and high-spending, with TV and streaming platforms fetching ₹3,000 crore from ads. Kumbh Mela, in comparison, is expected to attract around 50 crore viewers, nearly half of whom belong to urban, money-spending segments. This makes Kumbh mela a highly valuable property for investment, particularly for brands in FMCG, automotive, and financial services sectors, offering an excellent return on investment.”

The event has the potential to generate Rs 500 crore advertising revenue, compared to Rs 40 crore collected during Ardh Kumbh mela in 2019, says Vijay Kumar.