Holy Grail of marketing: Maha Kumbh 2025 drives brand spends by 300%

Brands bank on maha Kumbh.

Brands are hustling just as hard as pilgrims for the prime spots at Maha Kumbh 2025 that marketers call as the cultural jackpot with 300 percent higher spends than the 2013 edition.

Brands have significantly increased their marketing spends for Maha Kumbh 2025 compared to 2013 and 2019, said marketers.

Compared to 2013, spends have surged by nearly 300 percent, and compared to the 2019 Ardh Kumbh, there is a 70–100 percent growth, noted Nahush Gulawani, Co-Founder at Wit & chai, a Pune-based creative advertising agency, who added that the increased spending shows how brands now view Maha Kumbh not just as a spiritual gathering but as a pan-India platform to penetrate deeper markets, and amplify brand loyalty.

Marketing spends were around Rs 1,200 crore–1,500 crore, dominated by traditional media like print, radio, and outdoor in 2013. For 2019 Ardh Kumbh, the figure rose to Rs 2,000 crore–2,500 crore, with a noticeable increase in digital activation and influencer campaigns. Maha Kumbh 2025 is expected to exceed Rs 4,500 crore, with a growing emphasis on hyper-targeted campaigns to capture regional and rural audiences.

Gulawani pointed out that most top-tier brands are doubling their usual event marketing budgets to capitalise on the scale of Maha Kumbh.

"Our marketing spends for Maha Kumbh 2025 have increased by 25 percent as compared to 2019," said Anirban Banerjee, Senior Vice President and SBU Head (batteries and flashlights), Eveready Industries India.

For the 2025 edition, the brand has equipped Maha Kumbh police personnel with 5,000 Eveready Siren torches. "This latest innovation from Eveready, while serving as a traditional flashlight, transforms into a powerful and empowering safety device with a 100 decibel (dBA) sound alarm that can be activated by simply pulling an attached keychain," Banerjee added.

Top spenders

FMCG brands like HUL and ITC are leading the pack with spends exceeding an estimated Rs 120 crore, focusing on mass visibility through hoardings, on-ground activations, and transit advertising, noted Yasin Hamidani, Director, Media Care Brand Solutions. He also estimates that telecom players such as Airtel have allocated around Rs 80 crore-100 crore each for 5G promotions. Digital platforms like Paytm and Flipkart are spending around Rs 50 crore-70 crore to tap into rural and spiritual audiences. Healthcare and wellness brands have also invested around Rs 30 crore-50 crore in kiosks, sponsorships, and awareness campaigns targeting pilgrims.

FMCG leads the pack in terms of category of brands with 35 percent of total spends, focusing on in-context promotions like free sampling and eco-friendly product packaging. BFSI at 20 percent of their total spends and telecom at 15 percent follow suit, leveraging Kumbh’s aspirational audience, Gulawani said.

According to his estimates, FMCG and telecom brands are spending between Rs 50 crore–100 crore each while the smaller regional brands and start-ups are allocating budgets of Rs 5 crore–10 crore, focusing on localised campaigns.

Top brands are dedicating 15–25 percent of their annual marketing budgets to Maha Kumbh 2025, Gulawani said. For smaller regional brands, this is between 25-30 percent, said Hamidani.

"For Maha Kumbh 2025, 15-16 percent of our quarterly marketing budget is dedicated to the marketing initiative which includes placing headrest covers on the New Delhi to Varanasi Vande Bharat train. This route, a vital travel link for Kumbh attendees, ensures high visibility among a focused and relevant audience for our business loan product, said Santanu Agarwal, the Deputy Managing Director of Paisalo Digital Limited.

Marketing at Maha Kumbh accounts for 5-8 percent of our annual marketing spends, said Jhoomer Sinha, Vice Ppresident of India Hindi Business, Kuku FM.

"We have set up a kiosk in Sector 6 at the mela ground and through word of mouth, outdoor advertising and brand promotions we were able to garner a massive footfall of potential users over the first week. The Maha Kumbh served as the perfect launch platform for our venture into spiritual storytelling with our Bhakti app."

Outdoor versus digital

A significant portion of the marketing expenditure is allocated to outdoor advertising, around 25 to 40 percent, said Neelesh Pednekar, Co-Founder and Head Of Digital Media at digital marketing agency Social Pill. Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising is expected to garner around Rs 750 crore, with ad rates experiencing a notable increase due to high demand and prime locations, he added.

Digital Advertising is another prominent way brands are preferring to advertise during Maha Kumbh accounting for 40 percent of total marketing spends, said Ambika Sharma, Founder and Chief Strategist, Pulp Strategy, a creative agency.

Influencer marketing accounts for 10 percent, with local influencers creating relatable content in regional languages, she added.

For digital ads, CPMs (cost per mille/thousand impressions) for event-related campaigns are reaching Rs 600–Rs 800, said Gulawani. Prime properties like the Indian Premier League (IPL) see CPMs over Rs 270.

Expensive engagement

Social media ads targeted at Maha Kumbh pilgrims are estimated to cost 20-40 percent higher than standard rates in non-peak seasons while regional influencers command fees ranging from Rs 2 lakh-9 lakh per post and macro influencers charge Rs 10 lakh-30 lakh for integrated campaigns, Sharma said. Ad rates for prominent outdoor spaces have risen by 35-50 percent compared to 2019 - a billboard on the main ghats costs Rs 25 lakh-30 lakh per month in 2025, a sum unheard of previously, she added.

The cost of advertising has risen by 40–60 percent compared to 2019, driven by increasing demand for premium ad placements. Outdoor ads in prime locations like Sangam ghats and key entry points range between Rs 10 lakh–15 lakh per hoarding per month, up from Rs 6 lakh–9 lakh in 2019, Gulawani noted.

On-ground activation costs, including branded pavilions and kiosks, are up by 30–40 percent, starting from Rs 50 lakh.

Small interactive booths can cost between Rs 4 lakh–12 lakh, while mid-range setups like VR (virtual reality) experience zones range from Rs 16 lakh–40 lakh, said Rishabh Mahendru, VP - Client Success & Growth, AdLift, a global digital marketing agency. Larger installations, such as cultural workshops, may go up to Rs 40 lakh–80 lakh, and full-service branded lounges can cost between Rs 80 lakh to Rs 2 crore, he added.

Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising rates range from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 60 lakh, said Amyn Ghadiali, Country Head - India, Gozoop Creative Digital. "Outdoor advertising rates have increased by 2 to 3 times compared to 2019.

Advertising on vehicles such as buses, rickshaws, and trains, along with other forms of mobility branding, is another way brands are increasing visibility among attendees, said Himanshu Arora Co-Founder of Social Panga.

Advertising on boats can cost upwards of Rs 1 lakh for 45 days and the rates are higher for areas which experience massive footfall like areas near the Sangam or food courts, the Kuku FM spokesperson said.

"Hoarding rates range from Rs 2 lakh-5 lakh/month, up from Rs 1.5 lakh-3 lakh in 2019. TV slots during Kumbh-themed shows cost Rs 15 lakh-20 lakh for 10 seconds, while digital ad campaigns start at Rs 10 lakh, reflecting the increased demand and premium on high-impact placements, Hamidani said.

He added that brands are advertising in high-visibility areas like entry gates, ghats, tents, and transit hubs (railways, buses). Prominent dates are main bathing days, particularly Makar Sankranti (January 14), Mauni Amavasya (February 10), and Basant Panchami (February 16), which witness peak footfall.

"Brands are focusing their efforts around key events known as "snans" (bathing rituals), which attract the largest crowds. Approximately 70 percent of overall branding expenditures are centred around these significant moments throughout the 45-day event," Mahendru added.