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CPM (cost per thousand impressions) benchmark
What it is
Cost per thousand impressions is the common currency for comparing media. Print CPMs sit far above digital, so a planner buying on efficiency alone will always shift budget away from newspapers
Indian print advertising grew about 3% in 2025 to roughly Rs 20,866 cr, but its share of total adex slipped from 19% to 18% - growing in absolute terms while losing relative ground
Impact on industries
- Planning models optimise for scale and short-term performance, which disadvantages print regardless of audience quality
- Incremental budgets flow elsewhere even when print budgets are maintained, so the medium shrinks by not growing - a slower and less visible decline than outright cuts
- Publishers argue brand safety and editorial credibility justify the premium, and those attributes gain value as advertisers navigate misinformation and AI-generated content
- The counter-argument is unanswered: circulation has not grown, so advertisers resist industry-wide rate increases absent demonstrable added value