Indian journalists receive a flood of pitches every day, most of them press releases pasted into an email with “Dear Sir/Ma’am” on top. The pitches that get answered are short, specific and clearly written for the person receiving them.
Here is how to write those, step by step.
Know the beat before you write
Read the journalist’s last five stories. Note what they cover, the angle they take and the kind of sources they quote. A reporter who writes about startup funding wants different things from one who writes about consumer trends, even at the same publication.
One sentence showing you’ve read their work does more than any template.
Beats change often in Indian newsrooms. Check the byline is recent before you pitch; our guide to building a media list that stays accurate covers how to keep track.
Lead with the story, not the company
Journalists don’t need a company. They need a story their readers will care about. Compare:
- Weak: “XYZ Foods launches new protein powder range”
- Stronger: “Why women in their 40s are India’s fastest-growing protein buyers, with sales data from XYZ Foods”
The second gives the reporter a trend, data and a reason to write now, with the company as the source rather than the subject.
Write a subject line that works on a phone
Keep it under about eight words, specific, and free of words like “exclusive” unless it truly is one. Include a number or a named person if you have one. “Data: 3x rise in tier-2 protein orders” is easy to understand at a glance; “Exciting announcement from XYZ!” is not.
Keep the email under 150 words
- One line on why it matters to their readers now
- Two or three lines with the facts, data or access you are offering
- Who is available to talk, and when
- Links to images, data or the release, not attachments
Key takeaway
If the journalist can’t see the story in the first two lines, the rest won’t be read.
Timing and follow-ups
- Pitch morning-edition print reporters earlier in the day, before the evening deadline rush
- Offer embargoed stories with enough time for the reporter to do their work
- Follow up once, after two or three working days, with something new to add
- Don’t ask “did you get my email?”
- Never send the same pitch to two reporters at one publication without saying so
Don’t ignore regional media
Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Marathi and other regional publications often reach exactly the audience a brand needs, especially outside the metros. Pitch them in their language where you can, offer a spokesperson who speaks it, and include the story in your coverage report with an English summary so it gets the credit it deserves.
Think about the second audience: AI
Stories in credible publications now shape what AI assistants say about a brand. When you pitch, make sure the story states plainly what the company does and what makes it different. That clear line is what readers remember, and it’s what assistants such as ChatGPT repeat. See how to get your brand mentioned in ChatGPT answers.
