Social media management
The realistic market range in India is ₹25,000 to ₹1,00,000 a month, depending on how much content you get and how many platforms are covered. At the lower end you get a handful of posts. At the upper end you get 15 to 20 reels, statics and carousels, multi-platform management, community replies and monthly reporting. Kohinoorr's social retainers typically run ₹30,000 to ₹60,000 a month.
Performance marketing (Meta and Google ads)
Here you pay two things: the ad spend, which goes directly from your account to Meta or Google, and the agency's management fee. For most Indian D2C and service brands the sensible minimum ad spend is ₹50,000 to ₹1,00,000 a month; below that there isn't enough data to learn what works. Management fees are quoted after an audit because they depend on spend, channels and creative volume.
Websites and e-commerce stores
A Shopify store from a capable agency starts around ₹60,000. Custom-coded sites on frameworks like Next.js start around ₹1.5 lakh. E-commerce platforms, client portals and business automation typically start from ₹3 lakh. Cheap builds often skip SEO, speed and tracking, which then costs more to fix than to do right.
Shoots and production
Shoot days are usually priced separately from monthly retainers because they depend on hours, location, crew, models and equipment. Ask whether your retainer includes any shoot days and what an additional day costs before you sign.
Costs that sit outside the quote
Ad spend, paid tools and software subscriptions, stock music and footage, models and locations, influencer fees, and GST at 18%. A good quote lists these clearly so the first invoice isn't a surprise.
How to judge value, not just price
Compare deliverables, not totals. Count the reels, statics, ad creatives and shoot days per month; check who is doing the work; and ask what the report will measure. A ₹20,000 retainer that produces four posts and no leads is more expensive than a ₹50,000 one that pays for itself.