1. Ad spend (the obvious line)
Sponsored Products dominates Indian seller spend (~70%). Sponsored Brands (~18%), Sponsored Display (~8%) and DSP (~4%) make up the rest, though the mix shifts heavily for branded sellers.
Average CPCs in India in 2026 range from ₹4 in low-competition rural categories to ₹85+ in electronics, supplements, and beauty. Average CTR is 0.4–0.6% for SP and 0.7–1.1% for SB Video.
| Category | Avg CPC (₹) | Avg ACOS |
|---|---|---|
| Beauty & Personal Care | ₹38–₹68 | 28–38% |
| Electronics | ₹45–₹85 | 18–28% |
| Apparel & Fashion | ₹22–₹40 | 32–42% |
| Home & Kitchen | ₹18–₹35 | 22–32% |
| Health & Supplements | ₹52–₹90 | 30–40% |
| Books & Stationery | ₹6–₹15 | 12–18% |
2. Agency fee (or in-house salary)
An Amazon Advertising agency in India runs ₹25K–₹2L/month or 8–15% of spend. An equivalent in-house senior PPC manager costs ₹12–₹25 LPA fully loaded (₹1L–₹2.1L/month) plus tooling.
Sellers under ₹10L/month spend almost always come out ahead with an agency. Above ₹15L/month, hybrid (agency + 1 in-house manager) becomes the most cost-efficient model.
3. Creative production
- Sponsored Brands Video: ₹15K–₹40K per asset (good production), needs 2–4 fresh assets per quarter.
- A+ Content modules: ₹8K–₹15K per ASIN; Premium A+ ₹25K–₹60K per ASIN.
- Brand Store: ₹50K–₹2L one-time, ₹15K–₹30K/quarter for refresh.
- Lifestyle photography: ₹3K–₹8K per image, 6–10 images per ASIN at launch.
- Main image (white-background + infographic): ₹2K–₹5K per ASIN, redo every 6 months for top SKUs.
4. Tools & data platforms
- Helium 10 / Jungle Scout: ₹6K–₹15K/month (essential).
- Pacvue / Perpetua / Skai: ₹40K–₹2L/month (only above ~₹10L/month spend).
- Bid management & dayparting tools: bundled in Pacvue/Perpetua, or ₹10K–₹25K/month standalone.
- Reporting dashboards (Looker, Power BI): ₹5K–₹15K/month if custom-built.
5. Amazon DSP & off-Amazon
Amazon DSP unlocks programmatic display, video and OTT inventory both on and off Amazon. Most managed-service DSP requires a ₹15L/month minimum, plus a ~10% platform fee or ₹50K–₹1L/month management fee.
Self-service DSP is opening up but still adds ₹50K+/month in tooling, plus ₹2–₹5L/month minimum spend to be viable.
6. The 6-line TCO worksheet
Use this exact framework before signing any agency contract or approving an annual ad plan. It exposes hidden costs that account for 30–50% of true spend.
- Line 1 — Ad spend: monthly Amazon ad budget across SP, SB, SD.
- Line 2 — Agency / in-house fee: management fee, % of spend, or fully loaded salary + benefits.
- Line 3 — Creative production: SBV + A+ + photography, amortized monthly.
- Line 4 — Tools: Helium 10 + Pacvue/Perpetua + dashboards.
- Line 5 — DSP & off-Amazon: spend + platform fee + minimums.
- Line 6 — Internal time: brand manager hours × loaded hourly rate (typical: 8–20 hrs/week).