Centre spent Rs 2,586 crore on PM Modi publicity since 2020, RTI reveals

The Centre has spent Rs 2,586 crore on advertisements promoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi across various media platforms since 2020, according to information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale.

The data, released by the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on 16 June, details expenditure on advertisements across print, television, radio, digital media, social media and outdoor campaigns between 2020-21 and 2025-26.

According to the RTI reply, the government spent nearly Rs 796 crore on print advertisements during the period. Expenditure on television and radio advertisements stood at around Rs 936 crore, while outdoor publicity, including hoardings and billboards, accounted for Rs 583.97 crore.

The data also points to a sharp increase in outdoor advertising expenditure. While the government spent Rs 32.76 crore on outdoor advertisements in 2022-23, the figure jumped to Rs 162.21 crore in 2023-24.

Spending on digital and social media campaigns witnessed a significant rise as well. Expenditure under the "new media" category increased from Rs 14 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 131.35 crore in 2025-26.

Gokhale had sought details of government spending on advertisements featuring or promoting the prime minister across all media platforms. The CBC's response provided a year-wise break-up of expenditure incurred since 2020.

Calling the figures "shocking", Gokhale claimed that the government spent nearly Rs 338 crore on print advertisements alone during 2025-26.

The RTI response also revealed that with only the first six months of the 2026-27 financial year completed, expenditure on advertisements has already reached Rs 2.76 crore.

However, the CBC declined to disclose the names of advertising agencies and media organisations that received the funds, citing "commercial confidence". Criticising the decision, Gokhale said taxpayers had a right to know where the money was being spent.

"This is only one agency's expenditure. It excludes spending by other ministries, public sector undertakings and political party advertisements. The actual figure is much higher," he alleged.

Targeting the government, the TMC leader said the Centre was willing to spend "thousands of crores of public money" on the Prime Minister's publicity while withholding details of the beneficiaries.

Gokhale further alleged that the BJP-led government uses government advertising as a tool to influence sections of the media. "When the reward for promoting Modi and the BJP is Rs 2,586 crore, are we surprised that much of the media remains compromised," he asked.