MEDIA, COMMUNICATION AND THE ARTS

Media Planner and Buyer

Decides where and when ads run across TV, digital, print and outdoor to reach buyers.

Any stream; comfort with numbers and English helps After a degree Private sector

Facts checked 29/10/2026

Is this for me?

People in this work enjoy

Mixing numbers with understanding how people watch, scroll and shop
Seeing a plan you built turn into ads that real people see
Negotiating and working with many kinds of people, from clients to media sellers

It may not suit you if you dislike

Long spreadsheet work and tight deadlines, especially around big festive and sports seasons
Entry roles can be repetitive, and the industry changes fast (new platforms, AI, changes in how data is measured)
Agency jobs are concentrated in a few big cities, and work can depend on how much clients are spending

Class 11–12 subjects: Class 12 in any stream (Arts, Commerce or Science). For a BMM or BAMMC degree under Mumbai University, the college rules ask for at least 45% in Class 12 (40% for reserved categories). Popular colleges often admit only far higher scorers, and the cut-offs change every year.
First degree: A 3-year degree, most often BMM / BAMMC (Mass Media), BBA, BCom or BA. Many people then add a 2-year MBA or PGDM in Marketing or Media Management. It is also possible to join a media agency straight after the degree.
Entrance exams: No national exam for BMM. Most affiliated colleges admit on Class 12 marks, and a few autonomous colleges run their own tests (reported). An MBA usually needs a management entrance test such as CAT, CMAT or a state test (reported).
Licence or registration: None needed to start working.

Open to every streamAny stream; comfort with numbers and English helps.Check your subjects against every career

What the work is like

Studying who the brand's buyers are, then choosing the mix of TV, YouTube, Instagram, Google search, newspapers, radio and hoardings. Building a plan within a budget, negotiating rates and slots with channels and publishers, booking the ads, then checking the results and changing the plan.

A day in the work
You start the morning checking how yesterday's campaigns performed on YouTube, Instagram and TV, and fixing anything that is overspending. Then you build or update a plan for a client in a spreadsheet, comparing cost and reach across channels. After lunch you talk to channel or publisher sales teams to bargain for better rates and slots, and then you join a client call to explain why the money is split the way it is. The evening is often a rush to finish a report or a pitch before a deadline.

The path, step by step

Step 1 · Class 9–12Take any stream. Get comfortable with percentages, ratios and spreadsheets, and keep your English and writing sharp. Notice ads around you and ask where they appear and who they are meant for.
Step 2 · After Class 12 · 3 yearsDo a degree. BMM / BAMMC is the most direct one, with advertising as a third-year specialisation. BBA, BCom or BA also work. In Mumbai University colleges, entry to BMM is on Class 12 marks and a minimum of 45% (reported from college pages). (reported — check with the official body)
Step 3 · During the degreeDo internships at a media agency, a channel, a newspaper or a digital agency. Learn Excel properly. The free Google Ads certifications on Skillshop teach how digital ad buying works.
Step 4 · Optional · 2 yearsMBA or PGDM in Marketing or Media Management, if you want to enter at a higher level or you studied something unrelated. Fees and entrance tests vary by institute.
Step 5 · Entry jobJoin a media agency as a trainee or executive. Early work is mostly data, spreadsheets, rate comparisons, booking schedules and campaign reports. Big agencies hire mainly in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Chennai (reported).
Step 6 · GrowthMove up from planner to senior planner to group head. You can specialise in buying (negotiating with media owners), digital or performance media, or data and analytics. Some people move to the brand side, as in-house media or marketing teams.

Ways in

RouteBMM / BAMMC (3 years) with advertising as the specialisation, internships, then a media agency trainee job.
RouteAny degree (BCom, BBA, BA or BSc) followed by an MBA or PGDM in Marketing or Media Management, then a campus placement into a media agency or an advertiser's marketing team.

Time and money

Stage	Time	Government college or body	Private college	Help available
Class 11–12 (any stream)	2 years	Your school's fees	—	—
Route 1: BMM / BAMMC degree (3 years)	3 years	Check the college's fee page	Vande Mataram College, Dombivli: ₹24,000 first year (reported)	—
Route 1: Internships during degree	During the degree	Check the college's fee page	—	Free Google Ads certifications on Skillshop; NPTEL marketing courses free to learn from
Route 2: Any degree (BCom, BBA, BA or BSc), 3 years	3 years	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page	—
Route 2: MBA or PGDM in Marketing or Media Management (optional)	2 years	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page	Management entrance test (CAT, CMAT or state test) fee: check the notice
Entry job: media agency trainee or executive	—	—	—	Paid job; pay not stated on page

Total timeAbout 5 years after Class 12 (3-year degree plus optional 2-year MBA or PGDM)

Total costDepends mostly on the college you choose — compare fee pages.

Good to knowThe page gives no pay figure, and the optional NPTEL certificate exam costs ₹1,000; check each college's fee page before deciding.

Fees from: Vande Mataram College, Dombivli: BMM course and fees (reported) · NPTEL: Integrated Marketing Management (certificate exam fee). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

What people earn

Pay at the start is modest and rises with experience, and it usually rises fastest for people who are strong in data, digital buying and negotiation; it also differs a lot between big agencies in metro cities, smaller agencies and brand-side teams.

Myth and fact

Myth: ~~Media planners are the creative people who make the ads.~~

Fact: Creative teams make the ad. Media planners and buyers decide where and when it runs, how much to spend and who will see it. That job is mostly about numbers, data and negotiation.

Try it now

Class 7–9Pick one brand you like. For one week, note every place you see its ads (TV, YouTube, hoardings, newspaper, apps) and guess who each one is aimed at.
Class 10–12Make a mock media plan for a school fest or a small shop on an imaginary budget of ₹10,000. Use a spreadsheet to compare options and say why you chose each one.
College or afterStart the free Google Ads Search certification on Google Skillshop. It is free to study and to take the exam, and you can practise the ideas on a small imaginary campaign.Open link ↗

Good to know

India has no licence or council for media planners. Your degree, internships, Excel and data skills, and your work record are what count.
In 2025, digital made up about 63% of all advertising revenue in India, according to the FICCI–EY report. That is why digital and performance-media skills matter so much for new planners.
TV buying depends on viewership data from BARC. In July 2026 the government told BARC to stop publishing ratings until it is registered under the new TV Ratings Policy 2026, and news reports in September 2026 said the pause was still on. Planners have had to work with other data meanwhile. Check the current status, because it may change.
Do not pay for 'certificates' that claim to be from Google or Meta. The official Google Ads exams are free on Google Skillshop.

Sources: FICCI press release: FICCI–EY Media & Entertainment report, 24 March 2026 · EY India newsroom: India's media and entertainment sector grew 9% in 2025 (FICCI–EY report) · BARC India: weekly TV viewership data page (the data TV planners use) · Business Standard (reported): Broadcasters want Barc ratings back, how TV viewership is measured · Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI): about the national body of ad and media agencies · NPTEL: Integrated Marketing Management (free-to-learn course page) · MMK College (Mumbai University affiliated): BAMMC eligibility (reported) · Vande Mataram College, Dombivli (Mumbai University affiliated): BMM course and fee page (reported)