If you tried catching a bus, metro or train in Delhi last year, chances are you saw advertisements from the Uttarakhand government – wrapping metro gates, filling digital screens at railway stations, staring down from bus stops across the capital. 

Some of these popped up even as far away from the hill state as Goa.

That’s just the visible tip of a massive advertising operation that has cost Uttarakhand’s taxpayers over Rs 1,000 crore in just five years, with Rs 923 crore spent during Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s tenure alone. 

This is the third part of our series on Uttarakhand’s advertising spree. We earlier examined how TV ads cornered a large share of the pie and how obscure publications got money. Now, we turn to digital media, radio, outdoor advertising, and SMS campaigns – categories that consumed over a total of Rs 190 crore, including Rs 182 crore in the last four years.

A change in strategy?

All of the spending on outdoor ads took place in 2024-25 – a sum of over Rs 50 crore. 

Among the outdoor ads were 10 display boards installed in Delhi, 21 unipoles erected outside the capital, lower and upper panels on 12 Delhi Metro trains, and three LED walls at Delhi railway stations.

Times Innovative Media Limited placed Uttarakhand government advertisements on 35 bus queue shelters in New Delhi, receiving Rs 81.36 lakh. Delhi Airport hosted Uttarakhand advertisements worth Rs 55.82 lakh through the same agency. 

Sadhna Media placed advertisements on six unipoles in Delhi, collecting Rs 12.07 lakh. 

The ads with Delhi metro and at Goa bus stops were handled by Dainik Jagran subsidiary Jagran Engage, which received Rs 25.46 lakh from the government.

In Delhi alone, over Rs 34 crore had been spent on outdoor advertising. Though it’s not clear what all these ads pertained to.

The government documents do clarify some of this out-of-state presence. For example, during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj in January-February 2025, Uttarakhand erected hoardings promoting government welfare schemes and welcoming pilgrims – a Rs 20 lakh investment targeting a massive religious gathering. Similarly, Rs 1.05 crore went toward promoting the National Games of India 2025 in Uttarakhand through hoardings, posters, and LED displays across the state.

Newslaundry sent questions to Banshidhar Tiwari, head of the Uttarakhand information department, and received a response from joint director Nitin Upadhyay. Upadhyay said that most of the advertisements in Delhi were related to tourism, as people from across the country visit the city and a large number of people from Uttarakhand live in the city. The hoardings were to promote Uttarakhand’s film policy during the Goa Film Festival, he said.

Digital pivot: From national giants to local websites

Over the last five financial years, the state government spent a total of Rs 69 crore on digital ads, including nearly Rs 62 crore spent under the Dhami government.

Of this nearly 62 crore, the largest share went to the India Today Group (Rs 4.11 crore), apart from the Rs 1.25 crore given to the group’s Hindi digital outlet Lallantop in 2023-24.

It was followed by The Indian Express (Rs 2.8 crore), Network 18 (Rs 2.64 crore), Zee News (Rs 2.43 crore), Hindustan Times Digital (Rs 2.36 crore), Dainik Jagran (Rs 2.10 crore), Amar Ujala (Rs 2.09 crore), Daily Hunt (Rs 1.98 crore) and ABP News (Rs 1.70 crore).

In 2020-21, when Trivendra Singh Rawat served as the chief minister, the state spent Rs 7.15 crore on digital advertising, distributing it among 145 websites. The approach was conventional: major national news outlets received the lion’s share. Mukesh Ambani-owned Network 18 topped the list with Rs 69.08 lakh. Dainik Jagran and Amar Ujala tied for second at Rs 60.12 lakh each. The Times of India received Rs 47.19 lakh, while Zee News and ABP News each got Rs 35.40 lakh.

Then came 2021-22, an assembly election year, and spending exploded to Rs 22.32 crore, distributed among 343 outlets. The India Today Group emerged as the clear favorite, receiving Rs 2.35 crore. Indian Express Group’s digital platform came second with Rs 2.30 crore, followed by Network 18 at Rs 1.54 crore. Hindustan Digital Media received Rs 1.38 crore, Daily Hunt Rs 1.37 crore, and other prominent outlets like Amar Ujala, Dainik Jagran, Zee News collected over a crore each.

The following year, 2022-23, digital ad spending plummeted to Rs 5.51 crore. 

But 2023-24 brought another massive surge: Rs 24.21 crore, nearly fivefold the previous year’s spending, distributed among 426 portals.

India Today Group reclaimed the top spot with Rs 2.83 crore. Times Now’s digital platform received Rs 1.47 crore. Network 18 received Rs 98.60 lakh, while established players like HT Digital, ABP News, Zee Media, and others collected between Rs 70 lakh and Rs 90 lakh each. Organisations like The Print (Rs 48 lakh), Punjab Kesari (Rs 36.58 lakh), Economic Times (Rs 35.4 lakh), Tribune India (Rs 28.32 lakh), and even specialised portals like TaxGuru.in (Rs 23.6 lakh), ShareChat (Rs 21.23 lakh) and Paytm (Rs 36.58 lakh).

Then came 2024-25, when the spending saw a dip but the breadth increased.

The Dhami government spent approximately Rs 9.18 crore on digital media, but virtually abandoned national news outlets, picking 650 local websites instead. The top recipient, Samachar4u.com, received just Rs 2.85 lakh. The second, PunjabTimes.Live, got Rs 2.82 lakh. 

The information department’s documents, which this report relied on, did not name any national media outlets in the digital category for the previous financial year. But Nitin Upadhyay claimed that ads were given to national digital media outlets last year too, including Amar Ujala, Dainik Jagran, and India Today. Without giving additional details, he said, “It’s possible that the documents you have may not contain this information.”

The state’s own rules, established under the Harish Rawat government in 2015 and later amended, supposedly ensure quality control. Websites must operate for at least six months and have at least 3,000 monthly unique visitors verified through Google Analytics. They must provide regular traffic data via affidavit, subject to third-party verification if needed. Only those with some part of the operation based in Uttarakhand can be empaneled, and websites are categorised by traffic tier.

Delhi FM stations get more ads

Radio advertising offers another window into the government’s priorities.

No information is available for radio advertisements during Trivendra Singh Rawat's tenure. But during Pushkar Singh Dhami’s four years as Chief Minister, approximately Rs 31 crore has been spent on radio campaigns. This includes Rs 13.99 crore in 2021-22 (election year), Rs 1.27 crore in 2022-23, Rs 11.08 crore in 2023-24 (likely connected to Lok Sabha elections), and Rs 4.61 crore in 2024-25.

The 2021-22 spending is particularly instructive. On November 5, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the sacred samadhi of Adi Guru Shankaracharya at Kedarnath. The state government spent Rs 3.70 crore broadcasting 90-second jingles about this event across various radio stations. RED FM, Radio Fever FM, and Tadka FM together received Rs 1.19 crore. Big FM, Radio City, and FM Dehradun collected Rs 1.29 crore. Radio Mirchi FM earned Rs 93.28 lakh, while HIT 95 FM got Rs 8.34 lakh. All India Radio’s 13 stations under Prasar Bharati received Rs 20 lakh. 

The Maha Kumbh Mela in Haridwar generated another Rs 3.4 crore in radio advertising for 50- and 60-second jingles. The Char Dham Yatra campaign added Rs 2.89 crore. 

These three campaigns alone consumed Rs 10.01 crore – 71.5 percent of that year’s total radio budget.

Interestingly, several of these radio advertisements were placed on Delhi FM stations. Though the state information department’s documents do not give clarity on the amount separately granted to Delhi stations and their Uttarakhand offices while mentioning both in several cases.

In 2022-23, radio spending collapsed to Rs 1.27 crore, focused entirely on FM stations within Uttarakhand. The largest single expenditure was Rs 50.56 lakh for 60-second jingles marking the Dhami government’s first 100 days. Other campaigns covered State Foundation Day (Rs 19.89 lakh), the “Har Ghar Tiranga” initiative (Rs 27.47 lakh), International Yoga Day, and “Main Uttarakhand Hoon” promotions.

The 2023-24 surge to Rs 11.08 crore coincided with Lok Sabha elections. Once again, the government advertised heavily outside the state. Char Dham Yatra ads cost Rs 4.38 crore. A campaign highlighting the Dhami government’s achievements consumed Rs 5.20 crore. Jingles marking the government’s first anniversary cost Rs 1 crore, while dengue prevention and other campaigns absorbed the remainder.

In 2024-25, spending was Rs 4.63 crore. The National Games held in Uttarakhand generated 60-second jingles costing Rs 2.84 crore. Winter travel promotions cost Rs 1.25 crore. Community radio stations received Rs 54.38 lakh, primarily for voter awareness, government programmes, and National Games promotion.

Asked about ads on Delhi-based radio channels, Nitin Upadhyay reiterated what he had said for outdoor advertising – only essential and tourism-related ads were given to such platforms.

The WhatsApp greetings

Perhaps the most peculiar aspect of Uttarakhand’s advertising strategy is its massive investment in SMS and WhatsApp greetings – personalised messages from the CM landing on lakhs of phones for every conceivable occasion.

Over four financial years (2021-22 through 2024-25), the government spent nearly Rs 40 crore on these routes: Rs 15.79 crore in 2021-22, Rs 5.89 crore in 2022-23, Rs 12.60 crore in 2023-24, and Rs 6.15 crore in 2024-25.

The messaging operation began in earnest in 2021-22, with two agencies dominating: Dehradun-based Master Stroke Media Pvt Ltd (Rs 12.2 crore) and Nagpur-based Pinnacle Teleservices Pvt Ltd (Rs 3.59 crore).

The largest single expenditure was Rs 3.75 crore for the Chief Minister's message marking 100 days in office, which included dengue and malaria prevention tips. Chief Minister Dhami’s Diwali greetings cost Rs 86.48 lakh. Three SMS messages about “employment for youth, fees in medical education, and the rural economy” consumed another chunk. A WhatsApp message about inaugurations and foundation stone laying ceremonies by the government and Prime Minister Modi cost Rs 68.49 lakh. An employment-related WhatsApp message to youth cost Rs 67.49 lakh.

And so it went: Rs 49.73 lakh for messages about PM Modi’s Kedarnath visit, Rs 46.06 lakh for messages about women's livelihoods and “Uttarakhand Number 1,” Rs 44.92 lakh for Krishna Janmashtami greetings, Rs 44.78 lakh for Vijayadashami wishes, Rs 43.60 lakh for Himalayan Day, Rs 42.22 lakh for World Tourism Day, Rs 41.7 lakh for Diwali greetings, Rs 35.9 lakh for a 30-second voice call with Holi greetings, Rs 35.76 lakh for Rakshabandhan, Rs 34.89 lakh regarding recruitment, and Rs 32.66 lakh for Harela greetings.

In 2022-23, this spending dropped to Rs 5.89 crore, distributed largely through the same two agencies (Rs 4.88 crore to Master Stroke, Rs 1.01 crore to Pinnacle). 

The single largest item was Rs 1.02 crore for CM Dhami’s “public communication” newsletter via WhatsApp. Information about the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) cost Rs 59.03 lakh to disseminate. The 100-day government completion message cost Rs 53.55 lakh, New Year greetings Rs 49.80 lakh, State Foundation Day Rs 46.56 lakh, Diwali wishes Rs 44.55 lakh, and so on through the festival calendar.

The 2023-24 year saw spending jump to Rs 12.6 crore, with two new agencies joining the party: Value First Digital Media Pvt Ltd of Gurugram and Virtuoso Netsoft Pvt Ltd of Chandigarh. Master Stroke Media dominated with Rs 10.51 crore, while the others received smaller portions.

The centerpiece was the “Chief Minister’s Dialogue” – monthly messages via WhatsApp from March 2023 to February 2024, costing Rs 4.54 crore. Festival greetings continued the expensive march: Dussehra (Rs 54.75 lakh), Diwali (Rs 54.32 lakh), International Yoga Day video messages (Rs 52.52 lakh), Rakshabandhan (Rs 52.01 lakh), Independence Day (Rs 51.82 lakh), New Year (Rs 51.46 lakh), Harela (Rs 49.74 lakh), and Republic Day (Rs 47.33 lakh). Even the one-year anniversary of the government cost Rs 34.39 lakh to celebrate via message.

Notably, among this avalanche of greetings and self-promotion that year, only one message concerned actual public health: dengue prevention, which cost Rs 37.54 lakh.

In 2024-25, the pattern continued with Rs 6.15 crore spent through the same four agencies, Master Stroke again receiving the bulk (Rs 5.33 crore). The Chief Minister’s Dialogue newsletters, sent seven times from June 2024 to January 2025 to approximately 25 lakh residents, cost Rs 2.71 crore. A video message for Harela cost Rs 74.94 lakh. 

Difference in pricing

But Newslaundry’s assessment of pricing and number of recipients suggests a difference in costs of messages sent through SMS and WhatsApp.

For example, in 2024-25, the average cost of a single WhatsApp message stood at Rs 1.54 while the average SMS price was 22 paisa. 

As per TRAI regulations, government messaging on SMS can get a 5 paisa exemption in the interests of public awareness. However, there are no rules so far governing pricing of official communication via WhatsApp.

Commercial messaging on WhatsApp has a tiered pricing system. Under the platform’s updated pricing model, the highest costs are for marketing messages, at Rs 0.78 for each text, while utility messages cost around Rs 0.1 per message. The costs are defined by volumes.

However, this is different from communication on WhatsApp through telemarketing services, in which case, the pricing is not defined. Telemarketers must register under TRAI and can engage business service providers to handle technical integration. The Uttarakhand government had engaged telemarketing firms to do the job.

Of the over Rs 40 crore on SMS and WhatsApp communications, around Rs 32.9 crore was given to one company alone – Dehradun-headquartered Master Stroke.

Uttarakhand information department joint director Nitin Upadhyay said tenders had been floated for such WhatsApp messaging and Master Stroke was selected through L1 – meaning, being the lowest bidder. “SMS and WhatsApp have proven to be a good medium for connecting with the public during the pandemic and other occasions. Which is why this has been ongoing.”

Newslaundry reached out to the chief minister’s office and information department’s deputy director Ashish Tripathi for comment. This report will be updated if they respond.

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