How startups can get media coverage in India (without a big budget)

Plenty of Indian startups get their first press coverage without hiring anyone. It takes a real story, a short list of the right journalists and some patience. Here’s how to approach it.

Find the story, not the announcement

“We launched an app” isn’t a story. Reporters are looking for something their readers will care about. Ask yourself:

• What problem do we solve, and who suffers from it most?
• Do we have data that shows a trend nobody else can see?
• Is there something unusual about how we started or who we serve?
• Does our work connect to something already in the news?

The best startup stories usually live in the answers.

Build a short, relevant media list

Don’t email every journalist in India. Read the publications your customers read and note the reporters who cover your space. Ten well-chosen names beat five hundred random ones.

Look at what each reporter has written recently. If they covered a competitor last month, they may be interested in a different angle on the same market.

Pitch like a person

Keep your email short:

• One line on why this is relevant to them
• Two or three lines on the story
• An offer: data, an interview, a customer they can talk to

Attach or link the press release, but don’t paste a wall of text. Follow up once after a few days. If there’s no reply, move on.

Use data you already have

Startups sit on interesting data: how people in different cities use a product, what time of day orders peak, which features are growing. A simple, honest data story can get more coverage than a funding round.

Make the founder visible

Journalists look you up before replying. An active LinkedIn profile with clear opinions on your industry makes you look credible and easy to quote.

Be useful between announcements

Offer quick, helpful comments when news breaks in your sector. Reporters remember founders who reply fast with something sensible to say.

When to get help

DIY works for the first few stories. As you grow, the time cost adds up, and an agency’s relationships and writing can speed things up. If you get to that point, we’d be glad to help.