India film production rates vary widely by city, department and format. A Mumbai-based commercial anchored at the Bandra studio cluster runs at a different rate baseline than a Rajasthan heritage feature or a Kerala backwater documentary. Understanding the state-by-state variance, equipment rental bands, location fees and post-production pricing is what separates a shoot budget that holds through delivery from one that overruns by twenty per cent.
These are Celluloid Pact planning ranges drawn from recent production experience and supplier quotations, not published national tariffs. Final rates depend on package contents, crew credits, shoot length, season, location, taxes, transport and availability. Re-quote every department against the final brief before locking the budget.
This rate benchmark is written for foreign productions engaging line producer India teams. Features, series, OTT originals and long-format documentaries typically book six or more shoot days; commercials and ad films are priced by shoot day, deliverable count or campaign package rather than a minimum run. Every figure below is a working benchmark in Indian Rupees, drawn from executed 2024 to 2026 shoots across the five main production regions Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Rajasthan, Kerala and Goa. The parent architecture, cluster geography and full engagement scope sit on our line producer India page.
Rates below sit at working-benchmark bands. Actual quotes vary with production scale, day counts, peak-season timing (November to February for the primary tourist and clear-weather window), and whether the line producer is booked at agency-brief scale or feature-package scale. Where a range is quoted, the low end reflects mid-tier crew and the high end reflects senior credit-level talent that international productions routinely book for hero briefs.
Ad Film Production Cost in India: How Budgets Scale by Brief
Ad film production cost in India varies primarily by shoot days, crew tier, production design, talent, locations, equipment and post-production. An ad-film quotation should identify physical production separately from agency creative, talent and celebrity fees, usage or buyout rights, music and media spend. Depending on the contracting structure, some of these costs may sit inside the production-company agreement, but each should be itemised clearly. The rows below describe how a commercial or TVC brief scales; the figure is quoted per brief from executed rates rather than sold as a single national price.
| Brief | Typical footprint | Production-cost basis | Usually included | Usually excluded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital or product commercial | 1 to 2 days, lean unit | Lean day-rate build, quoted per brief | Crew, camera, lighting, location, basic art and post | Media, talent usage, agency fee |
| Agency TVC or branded film | 2 to 4 days, full departments | Full-department build, quoted per brief | Production team, equipment, art, permits and finishing | Celebrity endorsement, music rights, media |
| International campaign | 3 to 10 days or multiple deliverables | Indicative ₹1.2 crore to ₹2.5 crore for a ten-day international campaign, based on executed rates | Multi-unit execution, specialist equipment, complex art and logistics | Imported talent or HOD costs unless specified |
What an Ad-Film Production Budget Includes
A production quotation normally itemises prep, crew, equipment, production design, locations, transport, catering, overtime, post-production, insurance, production fee, GST and contingency. Director, talent, celebrity endorsement, usage or buyout rights, music, agency creative and media may be included or contracted separately; the quotation should state the treatment of each line.
Why TVC Costs Change by City and Production Scale
The same brief prices differently by city and by scale. Mumbai carries the largest commercial crew base and studio inventory, so a full-department TVC is easiest to crew and equip there, while a lean digital film can run more cheaply in a smaller hub. Scale is the larger driver: shoot-day count, the number of deliverables cut from one shoot, the depth of the art and set build, and whether the shoot needs specialist equipment such as motion control, high-speed or aerial units. A single-day product film and a multi-deliverable campaign shot back to back are different budgets even in the same city, which is why an ad film is quoted against its brief rather than a headline rate.
Worked Example: Two-Day Mumbai Commercial
A two-day Mumbai commercial budget is built line by line rather than from a single rate. The lines are prep and recce, the shooting crew across departments, the camera, lighting and grip package, art and production design, location fees, transport and catering, an overtime allowance for the shoot days, post-production and finishing, insurance, the production fee and GST, and a contingency against weather and access. The swing items are usually the art and set build, the equipment package and the number of finished deliverables, so two commercials with the same two-day footprint can differ materially once those are specified. Celluloid Pact quotes each of these lines from executed Mumbai rates against the actual brief, so the quotation reflects the current brief rather than treating the worked example as a universal rate.
Indian film crew rates by department and state variance
Crew rates in India split into above-the-line (director, DOP, production designer, line producer, executive producer) and below-the-line (camera, lighting, sound, art, wardrobe, make-up, assistant directors, production management). Above-the-line rates in India are experience-tiered and negotiate individually. Below-the-line rates cluster into working bands that most Mumbai and Delhi crew quote within, with state-level adjustments for Kerala, Rajasthan, Goa, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
Above-the-line day rates in Mumbai
Director day rates in Mumbai span ₹50,000 to ₹5,00,000 and beyond, with international feature-tier and A-list ad directors clearing the upper band. Director of photography rates run ₹25,000 to ₹2,50,000 per day, senior feature DOPs with international credits sit above ₹1,50,000. Production designers cover ₹20,000 to ₹1,50,000. Line producers who take a project end-to-end quote ₹30,000 to ₹1,50,000 per day, with senior LPs on international productions negotiating a project retainer rather than daily bill. Executive producer rates sit ₹25,000 to ₹1,00,000 per shoot day.
Below-the-line day rates in Mumbai
Below-the-line rates in Mumbai, the industry baseline against which every other Indian city adjusts, cover the technical departments a foreign production books through their line producer. First AD runs ₹12,000 to ₹25,000 per day; focus puller and camera assistant ₹8,000 to ₹15,000; gaffer ₹10,000 to ₹20,000; sound recordist ₹12,000 to ₹22,000; boom operator ₹5,000 to ₹8,000. Production manager rates hit ₹15,000 to ₹30,000; costume designer ₹15,000 to ₹40,000; make-up department head ₹15,000 to ₹35,000; location manager ₹8,000 to ₹15,000; script supervisor ₹8,000 to ₹15,000. Add fifteen to twenty per cent for a working retainer plus prep days if the shoot runs longer than ten shoot days.
Crew rate variance by state
Mumbai sets the ceiling. Delhi NCR runs ten to fifteen per cent below Mumbai, same crew depth on major briefs, lower cost-of-living overhead. Kerala runs twenty to thirty per cent below Mumbai baseline; the Malayalam industry bench is deep and rates are calibrated to a smaller domestic feature economy. Rajasthan runs at Mumbai baseline plus or minus five per cent; local Jaipur and Udaipur crew heads are competitively priced but heritage-location work often books Mumbai crew on top. Goa sits at Mumbai baseline off-peak but jumps thirty per cent during the November-to-February tourist window when demand overlaps with OTT and ad-film season. Hyderabad and Bengaluru run fifteen to twenty per cent below Mumbai and carry deep AVGC and post-production benches, especially relevant for productions with heavy VFX or motion-capture components. Our film fixers in Rajasthan page runs the four-city Jaipur–Jodhpur–Udaipur–Jaisalmer rate breakdown.
| State / production hub | Baseline crew vs Mumbai | Peak-season swing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mumbai | 100% (baseline) | +10 to 25% Nov-Feb | Deepest crew bench, highest ATL ceiling |
| Delhi NCR | -10 to 15% | +5 to 15% Nov-Feb | Same-tier crew, lower cost-of-living overhead |
| Kerala | -20 to 30% | +10 to 15% Nov-Feb | Malayalam-industry bench, smaller domestic economy |
| Rajasthan | ±5% | +15 to 20% Nov-Feb | Heritage-location premium offsets local base |
| Goa | Baseline off-peak | +30% Nov-Feb | Tourist-season overlap drives peak spike |
| Hyderabad / Bengaluru | -15 to 20% | +5 to 10% | Deep AVGC and VFX crew bench, film-crew day rates Mumbai comparison useful for VFX-heavy briefs |
Peak season multipliers and prep-day pricing
November to February is India’s peak production window, dry weather across most of the country, wedding-season overlap in Rajasthan, tourist-season overlap in Goa and Kerala. Crew rates during this window run ten to twenty-five per cent higher than the summer or monsoon baseline. Prep, travel, hold days and overtime are agreed in the crew deal memo and vary by department, seniority and production format. Six to eight weeks is a useful booking allowance for preferred department heads during busy periods, but not a universal minimum.
Equipment rental rates in India
Camera, lens, lighting, grip and specialist support equipment in India rents through a small number of established houses concentrated in Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi. Rate quotes below are per-day for a Mumbai-based rental; state-level houses can sit below Mumbai for equivalent packages, depending on availability and transport. Unless stated, these ranges are ex-rental-house day rates and exclude operators, expendables, transport, insurance and GST, which are quoted on the package. Rental quotations typically hold for 15 to 30 days.
Camera body and lens set rentals
Arri Alexa rental cost in India starts with the Alexa Mini LF, which rents at ₹45,000 to ₹65,000 per day (body only), with the newer Arri Alexa 35 at ₹55,000 to ₹80,000. RED V-Raptor XL runs ₹40,000 to ₹55,000; Sony Venice 2 runs ₹45,000 to ₹60,000. Lens sets sit on top: a Cooke S7/i full-frame prime set rents at ₹25,000 to ₹40,000 per day; a Zeiss Master Prime set at ₹35,000 to ₹55,000; a full Angénieux Optimo zoom kit at ₹30,000 to ₹50,000. Camera assistant labour, matte box, filter set, follow-focus and monitoring package bundle at ₹8,000 to ₹15,000 per day when quoted separately from the camera body.
| Camera body | Daily rental (INR) | Typical booking |
|---|---|---|
| Arri Alexa Mini LF | ₹45,000-65,000 | Feature, hero commercial |
| Arri Alexa 35 | ₹55,000-80,000 | Feature theatrical, top-tier ad |
| RED V-Raptor XL | ₹40,000-55,000 | Streamer feature, OTT series |
| Sony Venice 2 | ₹45,000-60,000 | Feature, high-end series |
| Cooke S7/i lens set | ₹25,000-40,000 | Standard feature lens package |
| Zeiss Master Prime set | ₹35,000-55,000 | Hero-tier feature, spec ad |
Lighting, grip and power
HMI 4K and 6K units rent at ₹8,000 to ₹15,000 per unit per day. A working LED panel bank (Aputure Nova, Aputure LS, ARRI SkyPanel mix) rents at ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per day. Generators size to the lighting order, a 60kVA generator runs ₹10,000 to ₹18,000 per day, a 120kVA silent generator ₹18,000 to ₹28,000. Grip packages (C-stands, flags, silks, dolly track and rider, low-mode heads) bundle at ₹12,000 to ₹22,000 per day. A 15-metre condor cherry-picker rents at ₹12,000 to ₹20,000 per day plus operator. Sound package (mixer, boom, wireless kit, playback) runs ₹8,000 to ₹18,000 per day depending on channel count.
Specialist camera support and aerial units
Ronin 2 gimbal with operator rents at ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per day. Steadicam operator plus vest and sled runs ₹35,000 to ₹60,000 per day and books early for peak-window shoots. DJI Inspire 3 or comparable cinema drone with DGCA-certified operator, dual-battery kit and permit filing runs ₹25,000 to ₹45,000 per day; major heavy-lift drones for Alexa Mini LF or RED payload sit at ₹50,000 to ₹90,000. Underwater housing (Nauticam or SPL for Alexa Mini) rents at ₹35,000 to ₹55,000 per day plus certified underwater DP. Motion-control rigs for VFX plate work are most commonly sourced through Mumbai or Hyderabad and quoted against the brief. Aerial filming requires confirmation against the applicable DGCA airspace category, site-owner conditions and local security requirements. Defence or additional security clearance applies only where the proposed location or airspace triggers it.
Location fees, ASI permits and municipal shoot permissions
India’s location cost stack, and specifically ASI monument filming fees, is dominated by three tracks: ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) protected monuments, private heritage properties (Rajasthan palaces, Kerala houseboats, Goa villas), and municipal or state-issued shoot permits for public spaces, streets and infrastructure. Each track has its own fee schedule and lead time, and film fixers in India build the location cost line into the initial budget before any shoot day is locked. Which locations suit which brief, and the seasons and access behind them, sit on our India location and stand-in planning guide.
Protected-Monument Filming Costs and Approval Allowances
India’s protected monuments fall under different authorities, so filming costs and approvals are not one schedule. Centrally protected monuments come under the Archaeological Survey of India. The official rules require a filming-licence application at least three months before the proposed shoot and prescribe a ₹5,000 licence fee for professionals and agencies. Site conditions, equipment restrictions, deposits and any additional production requirements must still be confirmed for the specific monument. State-protected monuments are handled by the relevant state archaeology or tourism department on its own terms. Private palace and heritage properties, such as Rajasthan’s palace hotels, are commercial locations whose fees are negotiated directly with the owner. Treat any figure a production is quoted for these as a current project quotation, not a published rate, and confirm the licence and lead time with the governing authority before locking the schedule.
Private heritage properties
Rajasthan palace location fees for heritage palaces, Umaid Bhawan in Jodhpur, City Palace complex in Jaipur, Rambagh Palace, Lake Palace Udaipur, rent to production at ₹1,50,000 to ₹8,00,000 per day, plus service charges, per-crew catering minimums, and often an owner or palace-family sign-off on script content. Kerala backwater houseboats book at ₹25,000 to ₹50,000 per day per boat, with larger feature units commonly requiring multiple boats for crew, equipment and holding. Goa heritage villas and beach-front private properties run ₹50,000 to ₹2,00,000 per day, with the higher band applied to peak-season November to February bookings.
Municipal, state and infrastructure permits
Railway, airport, municipal and infrastructure-location costs are quoted against the final schedule and operational scope rather than as a national tariff. Railway applications, for example, are processed through the Railway Board and the relevant zonal railway, with costs based on the location, operational disruption, railway staff, rolling stock and other requirements (see the Indian Railways filming guidance). Budget separately for authority charges, security, liaison personnel, disruption, deposits and any rolling-stock or facility hire.
Location scout and logistics costs
A location scout in India runs three to seven days per production region and bills at ₹15,000 to ₹35,000 per scout day for a location manager plus car, driver, fuel and stills package. Multi-state scouts across Mumbai, Rajasthan and Kerala for a single feature routinely book two location managers running parallel to compress the prep calendar. Vehicle rental (production van, camera truck, art department truck, executive SUVs) adds ₹8,000 to ₹35,000 per day per vehicle depending on class. Catering for a fifty-crew unit runs ₹35,000 to ₹80,000 per day at working-crew standard, higher for hero-talent riders.
Post-Production Rates and Total Budget Planning
Post-production in India runs through established suites in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, and is quoted project by project. It can be cost-competitive with other Asian production centres, depending on suite level, supervision, deliverables and revision rounds. DI, sound mix, VFX and AVGC-XR facilities in India deliver at international theatrical and streamer standards, and many international productions now finish picture in India before dispatching to home-country distribution masters.
DI, colour grading and sound facilities
DI and colour grading suites in Mumbai rent at ₹25,000 to ₹60,000 per day. Dolby Atmos mixing stages sit at ₹40,000 to ₹1,00,000 per day. Sound design and edit rooms run ₹20,000 to ₹50,000 per day. Chennai and Hyderabad DI runs ten to fifteen per cent below Mumbai for equivalent-tier facilities. A typical feature DI package (thirty-six suite-hours plus dailies and versioning) prices at ₹8,00,000 to ₹18,00,000 as a locked package, delivered as DCP, IMF and streamer-ready masters.
VFX, AVGC-XR and animation production
Individual VFX shot rates in India span ₹15,000 to ₹1,50,000 per shot and above, depending on complexity, simple wire removal or set extension sits at the low end, digital environment or crowd replication at the high end, and hero character work (creature, digi-double) at ₹2,00,000+ per shot. Hyderabad and Mumbai anchor the international VFX and AVGC pipeline.
India film incentive in the budget plan
Eligible international productions may access India’s current national incentive through India Cine Hub. Live-action projects can reach up to 40% of qualifying Indian expenditure, while eligible pure animation, VFX and post-production projects can reach up to 35%, subject to the current thresholds, conditions and ₹30 crore project cap. Incentive recovery must be calculated against audited qualifying expenditure, not the total production budget. See the India film incentives guide for the current application and state-scheme framework.
Budget worked example, a five-week Mumbai-Rajasthan feature
A five-week international feature with approximately 25 shoot days across Mumbai and Rajasthan can carry an indicative gross production-cost range of ₹5.2 crore to ₹7.8 crore, depending on crew tier, equipment, locations, travel and accommodation. The departmental figures below illustrate selected major cost lines and do not constitute a complete reconciled budget. Line producer and executive producer package, ₹85 lakh. DOP plus camera department, ₹65 lakh across the planned shoot days. Lighting, grip and generator, ₹45 lakh. Sound department, ₹18 lakh. Art department (production designer, set construction across two units, dressing, breakdown), ₹95 lakh. Costume, make-up and hair, ₹55 lakh.
Location fees and permits (a location licence at Amer Fort, a private City Palace Jaipur booking, one Udaipur palace, Mumbai city-street permits), ₹1.15 crore. Post-production locked-package (DI, sound mix, delivery masters), ₹15 lakh. Insurance, contingency and floor prep, ₹35 lakh. These are illustrative planning allowances rather than a quote. Any incentive recovery is modelled separately, against audited qualifying expenditure, and is not netted into this production-cost spine.
Engaging a line producer and total budget calibration
An extended high-production-value commercial, international campaign or multi-film package (ten shoot days, mid-tier crew, one hero location, standard equipment package) budgets at ₹1.2 crore to ₹2.5 crore as a gross budget. A twenty-five-day feature booking Mumbai plus Rajasthan with palace-heritage locations budgets at ₹4 crore to ₹9 crore as a gross production cost, with any incentive recovery modelled separately against audited qualifying expenditure. Line producers who commit to a locked-package budget at prep, rather than daily bill-through, provide the cost predictability international productions and completion-bond insurers require. For scheme selection, application structuring and consulting engagement, our film incentive rebate consulting page covers the working scope.
Current comparable-production experience is more useful than a generic rate card because Indian crew and supplier quotations move with season, availability and package scope. Compare quotations against the same brief, inclusions and assumptions before awarding the production package; otherwise apparent price differences may simply reflect different equipment, crew, transport or contingency coverage.
India film production rates FAQ
What does ad film production cost in India?
It depends on scope. A lean one to two-day digital or product commercial, a two to four-day agency TVC with full departments, and a three to ten-day international campaign are three different budgets, quoted per brief from executed rates. In each case, the quotation should distinguish physical production from agency creative, celebrity or talent fees, usage rights, music licensing and media spend. Depending on the contracting structure, those lines may be included or billed separately.
What are typical crew day rates in Mumbai versus other Indian cities?
Mumbai crew day rates set the industry baseline. Below-the-line technical crew (focus puller, gaffer, sound recordist, first AD) run ₹8,000 to ₹25,000 per day. Delhi NCR runs ten to fifteen per cent below Mumbai for equivalent roles. Kerala runs twenty to thirty per cent below Mumbai. Rajasthan sits within five per cent of Mumbai. Goa is at Mumbai baseline off-peak with a thirty per cent premium November to February. Hyderabad and Bengaluru run fifteen to twenty per cent below Mumbai and carry the deepest AVGC and VFX crew bench.
How much does an Arri Alexa rent for in India per day?
Arri Alexa Mini LF body-only rental in India runs ₹45,000 to ₹65,000 per day at Mumbai rental houses. Arri Alexa 35 sits at ₹55,000 to ₹80,000 per day. Add lens set, filter package and camera assistant labour on top; equivalent packages in Chennai and Bengaluru can sit below Mumbai depending on availability and transport.
What are ASI monument filming fees for international productions in India?
Filming at a centrally protected monument requires an Archaeological Survey of India licence, with the application submitted at least three months ahead. ASI rules prescribe a ₹5,000 licence fee for professionals and agencies; site conditions, equipment restrictions and deposits are confirmed for the specific monument. State-protected monuments and private heritage properties are handled separately, by the state department or the owner respectively.
How does India’s film incentive affect the budget?
Eligible international productions can access India’s national incentive through India Cine Hub, reaching up to 40% of qualifying Indian expenditure for live-action and up to 35% for eligible pure animation, VFX and post-production, capped at ₹30 crore per project. Recovery is calculated against audited qualifying expenditure, not the total budget. The full mechanics and state schemes sit on the India film incentives guide.
What is the peak season for Indian film production?
November to February is India’s peak production window, with dry weather across most of the country, wedding-season overlap in Rajasthan, tourist-season overlap in Goa and Kerala. Crew rates during this window run ten to twenty-five per cent higher than the summer or monsoon baseline. Advance booking six to eight weeks minimum is required to lock preferred crew heads at agreed rates.
