Pre-2014, during the UPA era, government advertisements were largely focused on schemes such as education, health and sanitation, without prominent branding of any particular leader. The average annual publicity spend was about Rs 550 crore.
Post-2014, during the Modi era, spending increased significantly, with a shift towards digital and more polished production, along with more leader-centric content. RTI and parliamentary data show that around Rs 12,000 crore has been spent over the past decade on extensive campaigns, which critics say prioritise self-promotion over dedicated education and health advertisements. Many argue that this amounts to a publicly funded exercise in self-promotion aimed at projecting a strong leadership image. As a result, some citizens feel that anyone questioning this trend or raising objections risks being labelled anti-national.
