What Times Group Ads does

Times Group Ads (ads.timesofindia.com) is the official digital self-serve ad booking platform operated by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (BCCL), India's largest privately held media conglomerate controlled by the Jain family. The platform enables advertisers to book classified text ads and display ads across BCCL's portfolio of newspaper brands — The Times of India, The Economic Times, Navbharat Times, Maharashtra Times, and Vijay Karnataka — along with specialized supplements including Times Ascent (careers), Times Property (real estate), and Education Times. The booking system spans 130+ Indian cities and four major languages (English, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada), with a multi-step online wizard, real-time ad preview, and toll-free phone support (1800 120 5474) for non-digital customers.

The platform's product surface is organized around ad format (text, single-column display, multi-column display, tribute, forum, premium soulmate, and large-format above 400 sq.cm display) and ad category (real estate, matrimonial, recruitment, education, obituary, tenders/notices, personal announcements, business, shopping, automobiles, services, travel, name change). Underlying technology is a transactional web application with template-based ad creation and city-level inventory selection; no AI/ML, APIs, SDKs, or third-party integrations are disclosed. The pricing model is strictly unit-based and transactional — per word/line for text ads, per square centimeter for display ads — with pricing varying by city, publication, date, and frequency, supplemented by promotional discounts.

Revenue flows to BCCL through transaction fees on each ad booking, serving a highly fragmented customer base that spans individual consumers (matrimonial, obituary, name change), SMBs (local real estate agents, auto dealers, jewelers, coaching centers), and enterprises (large recruiters, government tender issuers, aviation companies). The platform functions as the consolidated digital sales channel for BCCL's print classified advertising business, monetizing the parent company's brand equity, multi-language reach, and category-leading newspaper circulation rather than building an independent technology franchise.

Name

Times Group Ads

Legal name

Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.

Website

https://ads.timesgroup.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Times Group Ads is the official self-serve digital ad booking platform of Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., enabling advertisers to place classified and display advertisements across Times Group's newspapers (Times of India, Economic Times, and regional editions) in 130+ Indian cities and four languages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Classified Text Ad Placement: Charged based on number of words, lines and characters used in the ad matter. Text ads are the most popular and cost-effective format for classified advertising. Customers can use enhancements like borders, colours and designs to enhance appearance.
2. Classified Display Ad Placement: Charged on per sq.cm basis, varying by city, date of publication, publication name, and frequency of insert. Display ads include graphics, images, logos, colours, and attractive fonts to attract reader attention.
3. Display Ad Placement (Full/Half/Quarter Page): Large-format display ads ranging from 100-400+ sq.cm appearing on front page, Page 3 or other pages. Charged based on size and placement with premium pricing for prominent positions like newspaper jacket.
4. Display Ad Enhancements: Additional charges for colour backgrounds, tick marks, designs, lines and borders to enhance newspaper advertisements. Premium placements like animated pictures, infographics, and innovative quirky content also command premium rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Times Group Ads (ads.timesofindia.com) is an online ad booking platform operated by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. that enables individuals and businesses to place classified and display advertisements across the Times Group's newspaper portfolio, including The Times of India, The Economic Times, Navbharat Times, Maharashtra Times, Vijay Karnataka, and specialized supplements. The platform supports self-serve booking through a multi-step wizard with ad preview and template functionality, covering 130+ Indian cities across English, Hindi, Marathi, and Kannada publications. Pricing is based on ad format (text or display), size, city, publication, and insertion date.

Product overview

ads.timesofindia.com is a unified online ad booking platform for Times Group publications offering classified and display advertising across multiple newspapers and cities. The platform provides classified text and display ad formats across categories including real estate, matrimonial, education, recruitment, obituary, tenders, business, shopping, automobiles, services, travel, and name changes. Display ad products range from standard inside-page ads (100-400 sq.cm) to premium tribute and obituary display ads. Publications include The Times of India (English), The Economic Times (business), Maharashtra Times (Marathi), Navbharat Times (Hindi), Vijay Karnataka (Kannada), along with specialized supplements Times Ascent (careers), Times Property (real estate), and Education Times.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Times of India: India's largest and most influential English-language news publisher, offering classified and display ad placement across its national and regional editions.
• The Economic Times
• Maharashtra Times
• Navbharat Times
• Vijay Karnataka
• Times Ascent
• Times Property
• Education Times

Products and services

• ads.timesofindia.com Ad Booking Platform Online self-serve platform for booking classified and display advertisements across all Times Group publications including The Times of India, The Economic Times, Navbharat Times, Maharashtra Times, and Vijay Karnataka. Features a multi-step booking wizard, ad preview, and template selection.
• Classified Text Ad Text-based classified advertisement format charged per word, line, or character. The most popular and cost-effective classified ad format, supporting optional enhancements such as borders, colors, and designs.
• Classified Display Ad Display classified advertisement available in single column (3 cm width, minimum 5 cm height) or multi-column (6.34, 9.66, or 12.98 cm width, minimum 5 cm height). Includes graphics, logos, colors, and attractive fonts, charged per square centimeter.
• Premium Soulmate Ad Premium matrimonial display ad format with dimensions of 9.66 cm width and minimum 12 cm height for enhanced visibility in the matrimonial section of Times Group publications.
• Display Ad (100-400 sq.cm) Standard display advertisement sized 100-400 sq.cm placed on inside pages of Times of India publications. Priced based on size and placement.
• Display Ad (Above 400 sq.cm with Premium Placements) Large-format display advertisement exceeding 400 sq.cm with premium placement options including newspaper jacket, front page, and Page 3 positions. Quote-based pricing with premium rates for high-visibility positions.
• Display Tribute and Obituary Ad Display advertisement for the tribute page in Times of India and other publications, used for obituary announcements, memorial tributes, and remembrance messages.
• Display Appointment (Recruitment) Ad Display advertisement for recruitment and job postings, published in the Recruitment & Jobs Section of Times of India publications and Times Ascent supplement.
• Display Property Ad Display advertisement for real estate and property listings, available on inside pages up to 400 sq.cm and in the weekly Times Property supplement.
• Display Tender and Notice Ad Display advertisement for tender invitations, court notices, and legal public notices, published on inside pages of Times Group publications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Newspaper classified ads in The Times of India ensure great Return on Investment (ROI) owing to vast reach and credibility amongst readers

Named customers2 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.coreOthersParent company and publisher of The Times of India, The Economic Times, Navbharat Times, Maharashtra Times, Vijay Karnataka, and various other publications. The ads.timesofindia.com platform is the official advertising booking platform for all Times Group publications.
• Times of IndiacoreOthersIndia's largest and most influential English newspaper with highest circulation among English dailies. Published across 35+ cities with multiple regional editions.
• The Economic TimescoreOthersIndia's largest and most respected business news platform serving business leaders and entrepreneurs. Provides advertising opportunities in business and finance sections.
• Navbharat TimessupportingOthersThe Times Group's Hindi newspaper, most read Hindi daily in Delhi and Mumbai with more than 26 lakh readers across both cities.
• Maharashtra TimessupportingOthersLargest and most respected Marathi news publisher with presence across Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur & Aurangabad.
• Vijay KarnatakasupportingOthersIndia's largest news publisher in Kannada serving readers across Karnataka state.
• Times AscentsupportingOthersWeekly supplement focused on HR Development, Employment and Job Opportunities. Published on Wednesdays and Tuesdays with 10 editions across major cities including Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Delhi, and Nagpur.
• Times PropertysupportingOthersWeekly supplementary newspaper published every Saturday providing comprehensive real estate advertising opportunities.
• Education TimessupportingOthersWeekly supplement of The Times of India published every Monday covering foreign education, professional courses, and career guidance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Naukri.com (InfoEdge): Naukri.com is India's leading online recruitment platform, directly competing with the platform's Recruitment classifieds and Times Ascent supplement. Digital threat to a key vertical that has historically driven high-value display ad revenue.
• Justdial: Justdial is an Indian local search and classifieds platform offering directory listings across business services, automobiles, real estate, and more. Emerging digital competitor cannibalizing traditional newspaper classified ad spend across multiple categories.
• IndiaMART: IndiaMART is India's largest B2B marketplace connecting buyers and suppliers across categories. While focused on B2B, it competes with newspaper Business and Services classifieds by providing online alternatives for product and service discovery.
• Shaadi.com: Shaadi.com is India's largest online matrimonial platform, directly competing with the platform's Matrimonial classifieds and Premium Soulmate display ad formats. Strong digital competitor in a historically high-volume newspaper classified category.
• MagicBricks: MagicBricks is one of India's leading online real estate marketplaces, directly competing with the Times Property supplement and the platform's Real Estate classifieds. Digital vertical-specific threat to one of the platform's primary categories.

Direct peers

• HT Media: HT Media publishes Hindustan Times and Hindustan (Hindi), and operates its own classified ad booking platform (bookmyad.htmedia.in). Direct competitor offering similar self-serve newspaper classified and display ad booking across English and Hindi publications in India.
• Amar Ujala: Amar Ujala is a leading Hindi daily newspaper in North India offering classified ad booking across categories like matrimonial, property, recruitment, and tenders. Direct peer competing for the same classified advertiser wallet share.
• Dainik Jagran (Jagran Prakashan): Dainik Jagran is one of India's largest Hindi newspaper groups with its own classified ad booking platform (ads.jagran.com). Direct competitor serving matrimonial, recruitment, real estate, and other classified categories in print.
• DB Corp (Dainik Bhaskar): DB Corp publishes Dainik Bhaskar (Hindi), Divya Bhaskar (Gujarati), and Dainik Bhaskar (English editions), with newspaper classified ad booking across multiple Indian states. Direct competitor in the multi-language print classified advertising market.
• Lokmat: Lokmat is a leading Marathi and Hindi newspaper group with classified ad booking across Maharashtra and other states. Direct competitor in regional print classified advertising, especially relevant for Maharashtra Times's core market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/times-group-ads

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Times Group Ads