Pricing guide
What content production actually costs in India
Agencies avoid publishing prices because every project is different. That is true, and it is also not a good enough reason to make you guess. Here are real ranges and what moves them.
Why quotes vary so much
Two quotes for 'a product video' can differ by ten times and both be honest. The variable is not the camera — rental on a capable cinema camera is a small line. It is how many skilled people are on set, for how many days, and what has to be bought, built, cast or travelled to.
| Line | Share of budget | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crew (director, DOP, sound, assistants) | 35–45% | The largest line on almost every project |
| Post-production (edit, grade, sound, graphics) | 20–30% | Often equals or exceeds the shoot day itself |
| Cast and talent | 0–20% | Zero for pure product work, significant with models |
| Equipment and studio | 10–15% | Camera, lighting, grip, space |
| Art, styling, props | 5–15% | High for food, apparel and home |
| Production management | 5–10% | Scheduling, permits, logistics, insurance |
Video production
| Type of video | Typical range | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Short-form Reel or Short (batched) | ₹8,000–25,000 each | In a batch of 8–12, shot in one day |
| UGC-style ad concept | ₹15,000–40,000 per concept | Creator, footage and 3–5 hook variations |
| Product demo / explainer, 60–90s | ₹60,000–2 lakh | One shoot day, full post |
| Launch or hero product film | ₹1.5–5 lakh | Larger crew, art direction, motion control |
| Founder or brand film | ₹1.2–6 lakh | Interview-led, one to two locations |
| Campaign film with talent | ₹6–20 lakh+ | Casting, multiple locations, original music |
| Testimonial batch (3–6 customers) | ₹1.5–4 lakh | One day, all customers, full cut-downs |
Photography
| Type of shoot | Typical range | Best pricing model |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace packshots | ₹1,200–3,000 per SKU | Per SKU |
| E-commerce with lifestyle frames | ₹3,000–6,000 per SKU | Per SKU |
| Studio day, small range | ₹35,000–75,000 per day | Day rate |
| Lifestyle / campaign shoot | ₹75,000–2.5 lakh per day | Day rate |
| Apparel on-model | ₹60,000–1.5 lakh per day | Day rate, 40–60 looks |
| Jewellery macro | ₹3,000–10,000 per piece | Per SKU, slower per item |
Monthly retainers
Retainers are where per-asset cost drops, because planning, travel, set-up and creative direction are spread across a month of output instead of a single deliverable.
| Retainer level | Typical monthly output | Range | Effective cost per asset |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 8–10 posts, 4 Reels, 1 shoot day | ₹40,000–75,000 | ₹4,000–6,000 |
| Growth | 16–20 posts, 8–10 Reels, 1–2 days | ₹75,000–1.5 lakh | ₹3,500–5,000 |
| Full service | 20+ posts, 12+ Reels, community, ads creative | ₹1.5–3 lakh | ₹3,000–4,500 |
Six things that move a quote
- 1
Number of shoot days
The single biggest lever. Two days is close to double one day, because the whole crew is booked again.
- 2
People on camera
Models, actors and hand models add casting, fitting, usage licensing and time. Product-only shoots are far cheaper.
- 3
Location
Studio is predictable. Real locations add scouting, permissions, travel, power and weather risk.
- 4
Art direction and props
Building a set or styling food and interiors can be a quarter of the budget, and it is what makes work look expensive.
- 5
Post-production depth
A straight cut versus full grade, sound design, motion graphics and eight versions is a different job.
- 6
Usage and licensing
Paid media usage, talent buyouts and music licensing scale with where and how long the content runs.
What a fair quote should show you
- Number of shoot days and crew roles, listed individually
- What is included in post-production, and how many review rounds
- Every deliverable with its length, ratio and format
- Who owns the footage and how long raw files are archived
- Usage rights for talent and music, with the term stated
- What triggers an extra charge, in writing
Frequently asked questions
Why is video production in India cheaper than in the US or Europe?
Mostly crew and studio costs. Equipment, software and licensed music cost roughly the same everywhere, which is why the gap narrows on post-heavy projects. A premium Indian production with a full crew and name talent is not cheap in absolute terms.
Is it cheaper to hire a freelancer?
For a single simple deliverable, usually yes. The economics flip when you need volume, consistency across a range, or reliability on a launch date, because one freelancer is one point of failure and cannot shoot, edit, grade and design at the same time.
Should we pay per project or take a retainer?
Project pricing suits a one-off launch. A retainer is better once you need content every month, both because the per-asset cost falls and because the team stops relearning your brand each time.
What is a realistic first budget for a small D2C brand?
Around ₹1–1.5 lakh gets a single shoot day producing a product video, a batch of eight to ten Reels and a set of stills — enough to launch properly. Below roughly ₹50,000 you are choosing between photography and video rather than getting both.
Do you share prices before a call?
Yes. Send us the brief and we will send indicative numbers by email. We only need a call once the scope has genuine unknowns like location, casting or a complex deliverable list.
Have something worth filming?
Tell us what you are launching and we will come back with ideas, a plan and a quote within two working days.