Almost nobody in this industry answers this question publicly, which is why you have had to ask it four times and are still guessing.
We will not publish a rate card, because the honest answer is that scope drives price and scope varies enormously. But we will explain what actually drives the number, so you can read any quote you receive, including ours.
WHAT THE MARKET LOOKS LIKE
Mumbai has three tiers.
Global network firms. Landor, Interbrand, FutureBrand and similar. Rigorous, slow, expensive. Programmes run to tens of lakhs and upward. Appropriate when the brand decision is a board-level, multi-market one.
Established independents. Ten to fifty people, strong process, credible clients. The majority of serious branding work in this city
sits here.
Small studios and freelancers. Fast, affordable, variable. Excellent for defined pieces. Risky as custodians of a brand, because the continuity is one person deep.
Published industry guidance suggests basic branding projects can start around fifty thousand rupees, while comprehensive strategy and identity programmes for large organisations run into several lakhs and beyond. That range is so wide as to be nearly
useless, which is precisely the problem.
THE FIVE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY MOVE THE PRICE
1. Strategy depth. Research, stakeholder interviews and category analysis are the largest single variable. A logo refresh with no strategy is a fraction of a positioning programme.
2. Architecture complexity. One brand is one problem. A parent with five divisions and three subsidiaries is a different discipline, and priced accordingly.
3. Application count. The identity is a fraction of the work. Stationery, Packaging, Signage, Digital, Templates and rollout are where the hours sit. Ask any studio how many applications are included, and treat a vague answer as a red flag.
4. Production involvement. Whether the studio hands over artwork or stands over the press. The second costs more and saves more.
5. Ongoing custody. A programme that ends at handover is cheaper than one that includes governance. It is also the one more likely to drift.
HOW TO COMPARE QUOTES FAIRLY
Ask all three studios for the same three things: the number of applications included, the number of revision rounds, and what happens after handover. Quotes that look wildly different usually differ on those, not on talent.
And ask one more question: how long is your longest client relationship? A studio that cannot answer is telling you something about what happens after the invoice.
HOW WE WORK
Three models. Project scope for defined pieces. A creative retainer for ongoing custody. A fractional CMO engagement where the gap is direction rather than delivery. We will tell you which one fits, including when the answer is that you do not need us.
Want a real number for your actual requirement? Send the scope. You will get a figure and a breakdown of what drives it, with no obligation attached.
