The Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity (DAVP) was the Government of India’s nodal multi-media advertising agency for communicating policies, programmes, public-service messages, schemes, and government initiatives through paid publicity. DAVP worked with Central Government ministries, departments, public sector undertakings, autonomous bodies, and other eligible government organisations. It planned media campaigns, produced communication material, empanelled media vendors, fixed or negotiated approved advertising rates, released advertisements, and managed publicity across newspapers, television, radio, outdoor media, printed material, exhibitions, and later digital channels. DAVP no longer operates as a separate organisation. On 8 December 2017, DAVP was integrated with the Directorate of Field Publicity and Song & Drama Division to create the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The advertising and visual communication functions historically associated with DAVP now continue within CBC.
Quick Facts About DAVP
DAVP is best understood through both its historical role and its current continuation within the Central Bureau of Communication.
- Full name: Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity.
- Government role: DAVP served as the central multi-media advertising agency for Central Government communication.
- Origins: Its roots go back to the government publicity machinery created during the Second World War.
- Advertising Branch: The Advertising Consultant’s office became the Advertising Branch of the Department of Information and Broadcasting on 1 March 1942.
- DAVP name: The advertising unit became an attached office of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and took the DAVP name on 1 October 1955.
- 2017 restructuring: DAVP was integrated with two other government communication units to form the present Central Bureau of Communication.
- Media coverage: Its work covered print, television, radio, outdoor advertising, exhibitions, printed publicity, mass distribution, and emerging media.
- Current relevance: CBC continues to operate advertising policy, empanelment, rate management, media campaigns, production, billing, and outreach systems that developed from the earlier DAVP framework.
How DAVP Developed Into India’s Central Government Advertising System
DAVP developed from a government advertising function created during the Second World War into a specialised organisation responsible for large-scale public communication. Its history explains why government advertising in India combines media planning, public information, vendor administration, creative production, rate control, and nationwide distribution.
Government records trace DAVP’s roots to the appointment of a Chief Press Advisor during the Second World War. Advertising was among the responsibilities associated with that office. A post of Advertising Consultant was created in June 1941.
On 1 March 1942, the Advertising Consultant’s office became the Advertising Branch of the Department of Information and Broadcasting. As the scope of government communication expanded, the advertising unit received a more formal administrative position.
On 1 October 1955, the unit became an attached office of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and was named the Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity. On 4 April 1959, the Director or Director General was given Head of Department status, accompanied by financial and administrative powers.
This development created a specialised government advertising structure capable of handling communication at a scale that an individual ministry would have difficulty reproducing independently.
DAVP gradually became responsible not simply for placing advertisements, but for coordinating several stages of government publicity. Ministries could approach one central agency for campaign planning, creative requirements, approved media options, distribution, media release, verification, and related administrative work.
That operating concept remains important because CBC continues to describe its role around the paid publicity requirements of Central Government organisations, PSUs, and government societies. Media selection is linked to the intended audience and the available campaign budget.
What DAVP Actually Did for Government Ministries
DAVP acted as a service agency connecting government communication requirements with approved media, creative resources, production systems, and publicity channels. A ministry with a public communication requirement could use DAVP to turn a policy message into a structured multi-media campaign.
The work commonly included several connected activities.
A client ministry first had a communication requirement. The requirement might concern a new scheme, public-service programme, citizen information campaign, health message, educational initiative, government achievement, public notice, recruitment advertisement, or another approved communication need.
The audience then influenced the media approach. A campaign intended for a national newspaper readership required a different media combination from one intended for rural communities, regional-language audiences, television viewers, commuters, or citizens using digital media.
DAVP could support the development of the communication strategy and media plan. CBC’s official terminology defines a media plan as a publicity plan covering different publicity modes along with estimated expenditure.
Creative execution formed another part of the process. Copy, artwork, audio messages, films, printed material, outdoor creative, and other campaign assets had to be prepared for the selected medium.
Media release followed. Approved and empanelled media outlets or service providers were used according to the applicable policy, campaign requirement, rate arrangement, and administrative process.
Verification and billing then connected campaign execution with government expenditure controls. Historical DAVP material refers to verification and payment processing for media, while the present CBC work structure continues to contain dedicated policy, campaign, production, billing, rate, and empanelment responsibilities.
DAVP therefore worked as more than an advertisement booking office. It connected strategy, production, media administration, delivery, and expenditure management.
The Multi-Media Model Was Central to DAVP
DAVP’s defining operating idea was multi-media communication. Government information was distributed through a combination of channels selected according to message type, audience, geography, language, timing, and budget.
Historical DAVP descriptions identify press advertisements, exhibitions, outdoor publicity, printed publicity, audio-visual communication, mass mailing, and emerging media among its communication channels.
That channel-based structure remains visible within CBC today. CBC lists core verticals covering print media, outdoor publicity, audio-visual work, printed publicity and mass mailing, digital media, and outreach activities.
The approach matters because government communication has very different distribution requirements from a single commercial advertising campaign.
A policy announcement might require national newspapers for broad awareness.
A welfare programme might require regional-language media for local comprehension.
A public-health campaign might use television, radio, printed posters, outdoor displays, digital communication, and community outreach.
A statutory or recruitment advertisement might rely primarily on newspapers or approved digital placements.
A rural awareness programme can require forms of communication that do not depend entirely on internet usage.
Media planning within DAVP therefore involved matching the government message with the citizens who needed to receive it.
Print Advertising and the DAVP Rate System
Print media formed one of DAVP’s most visible functions because government newspaper advertisements required an organised system for publication eligibility, empanelment, rate management, advertisement release, and payment.
Empanelment determines which eligible publications can participate in the government advertising system subject to applicable policy requirements.
Rate management establishes the commercial terms under which approved advertisements can be released. Historical DAVP documentation refers to rate contracts, while current CBC work allocation continues to assign responsibility for print media policy, empanelment, rate revision, and renewal.
This arrangement serves several administrative purposes.
It creates a defined pool of participating publications.
It establishes documented rules rather than requiring every ministry to negotiate independently with every newspaper.
It creates a repeatable process for rate management.
It supports geographical and language-based campaign planning.
It provides an administrative trail connecting government expenditure with advertisement releases.
The current Print Media Advertisement Policy 2020 remains part of CBC’s published advertising policy framework. CBC also continues to open empanelment processes for publications and publishes application status information.
As of the 2026 work allocation published by CBC, print media policy responsibilities explicitly include policy, empanelment, rate revision, and renewal. This shows that a major operational function associated with DAVP remains active under the CBC structure.
The familiar phrase DAVP rates therefore has historical roots, but current publishers and advertisers dealing with Central Government advertising should refer to CBC policies, current notices, rate information, and empanelment requirements rather than relying on old DAVP documents alone.
Empanelment Is the Link Between Government Advertising and Media Vendors
Empanelment is a formal process through which eligible media outlets, producers, agencies, printers, outdoor operators, websites, and other service providers can become approved for specified categories of Central Government communication work.
DAVP used empanelment to maintain approved media and service-provider panels. CBC continues this model across several media categories.
Current CBC work allocation includes responsibilities connected with:
- Print publication empanelment and renewal
- Audio-visual producer empanelment
- Private television channel policy and rates
- Private FM and community radio arrangements
- Multimedia and creative agencies
- Outdoor and personal media
- Digital advertising
- Production and related administrative work
CBC’s vendor portal also continues to publish registration and empanelment notices. As of September 2026, the portal contains active information relating to multimedia agency registration and notices concerning audio-visual producer empanelment. CBC explicitly states that empanelment is granted according to prescribed policy and warns applicants against intermediaries promising approval.
Empanelment should not be interpreted as an automatic guarantee of advertising business.
Being approved establishes eligibility within the applicable category. Actual campaign allocation depends on government requirements, policy conditions, media planning, audience requirements, budgets, applicable rates, and administrative decisions.
For publishers and agencies searching for DAVP registration today, the practical destination is therefore the current CBC system.
Audio-Visual Advertising Extended DAVP Beyond Newspapers
Audio-visual communication allowed DAVP to distribute government messages through television, radio, films, audio spots, sponsored programmes, and other broadcast formats. The current CBC structure continues to separate audio-visual production from campaign planning and media release functions.
CBC’s published work allocation covers audio-visual production, producer empanelment, production rates, multimedia agencies, television campaigns, radio campaigns, private FM stations, community radio stations, and associated policies.
The distinction between production and media placement is significant.
Producing a government film or audio spot requires script development, creative production, recording, editing, approvals, technical delivery, and production administration.
Broadcasting that asset requires a separate set of decisions concerning channels, stations, programme environments, geographical coverage, campaign periods, rates, release instructions, and verification.
DAVP’s multi-media structure brought these functions into a coordinated government communication system.
The current CBC policy directory reflects the same breadth. It publishes separate guidelines concerning private satellite television, private FM, community radio, and audio-visual producers.
Outdoor, Printed Publicity and Exhibitions Reached Citizens Beyond Mass Media
DAVP used outdoor advertising, printed material, exhibitions, and distribution systems to reach citizens in locations where communication depended on physical presence as much as newspapers or broadcasting.
Outdoor publicity historically included formats such as hoardings, kiosks, bus panels, banners, wall displays, and other location-based formats.
The current CBC outdoor system covers a much wider range of formats. Published categories include airport media, digital displays, taxis and cabs, trolleys, hoardings, vending-related displays, audio announcement formats, and other approved outdoor inventory.
Printed publicity supported another communication need. Posters, folders, booklets, calendars, and similar materials allowed government information to be distributed physically to defined audiences.
Mass mailing connected printed production with distribution.
Exhibitions created another channel for explaining government programmes using display material, information panels, visual communication, and public-facing events.
These formats remain relevant because citizen communication cannot be reduced to online advertising. Government schemes frequently affect people across different levels of internet access, language preference, literacy, geography, and media consumption.
CBC currently lists outdoor advertising, printed publicity, events, exhibitions, and special campaigns among its active programme areas.
Digital Media Expanded the Original DAVP Model
Digital advertising added websites, social media, digital cinema, bulk messaging, OBD, and other online communication options to the government publicity system that originated under DAVP.
CBC now maintains a dedicated digital media framework covering several distinct categories.
The official digital media directory includes the Digital Media Advertisement Policy 2023, social media guidelines, internet website advertising, digital cinema, bulk SMS, other value-added services, and related empanelment and rate material.
This development changes media planning in several ways.
Digital campaigns can be distributed according to online audience behaviour and digital media consumption.
Web advertising requires rules for website eligibility and audience measurement.
Social media advertising introduces platform-specific formats and campaign delivery methods.
Digital cinema connects government advertising with cinema screens.
Bulk SMS and OBD support direct message distribution through mobile communication.
Digital campaigns can also require specialised media agencies when a platform does not maintain the necessary direct arrangement with the government or when specific services are not directly available through an empanelled platform.
The expanded digital framework shows how DAVP’s central principle has continued under CBC. The government maintains a managed system for selecting media, approving vendors, controlling rates, releasing communication, and administering expenditure, even as the available media formats change.
Language and Grassroots Communication Were Part of the Operating Logic
DAVP’s purpose was not limited to publishing messages from New Delhi. Government communication had to reach citizens across different states, languages, districts, media habits, and levels of access.
The creation of CBC expanded the relationship between central advertising functions and field communication.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting states that CBC has 23 Regional Offices and 148 Field Offices, including its Delhi headquarters structure. CBC communicates with rural and urban audiences through mass media as well as regional and field activities.
CBC also contains a folk communication function using live and traditional forms such as drama, dance-drama, puppetry, folk recitals, and other regional communication formats.
This part of the system explains why Central Government communication cannot be viewed only through advertising expenditure.
A message can require multiple layers of distribution.
National media creates broad awareness.
Regional media supplies language and geographical relevance.
Outdoor communication creates repeated local exposure.
Printed material supports detailed information.
Digital media reaches connected audiences.
Field communication creates direct contact in selected communities.
The combined structure is designed around public reach rather than dependence on one channel.
From DAVP to the Central Bureau of Communication
The most important fact for anyone researching DAVP today is that DAVP is the former organisation name. Its advertising functions now operate within the Central Bureau of Communication.
CBC was created on 8 December 2017 by integrating three government communication units:
DAVP brought central advertising and visual publicity capabilities.
The Directorate of Field Publicity brought field-level communication capacity.
The Song & Drama Division brought live and traditional communication formats.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting describes CBC as providing 360-degree communication solutions to ministries, departments, PSUs, and autonomous bodies while also advising the Government on media strategy.
The current Advertising and Visual Communication Division is identified by the Ministry as the nodal CBC division for dissemination of information concerning government schemes and policies through print, audio-visual, outdoor, digital, and new media.
The organisational name therefore changed, but many of the core functions associated with DAVP continued.
Media planning continued.
Print advertising continued.
Rate administration continued.
Vendor empanelment continued.
Audio-visual production continued.
Outdoor publicity continued.
Printed publicity continued.
Digital advertising expanded.
Campaign coordination continued.
Billing and administrative systems continued.
For current research, CBC is the primary entity. For historical research, older government files, newspaper references, vendor documents, rate discussions, and policy records can still use the DAVP name.
DAVP Advertising Should Be Distinguished From Political Party Advertising
DAVP handled Government of India communication. It should not be treated as a general political party advertising service.
Government communication can include information about public programmes, welfare benefits, public notices, citizen services, development programmes, health campaigns, educational programmes, statutory communication, and other authorised government messages.
Political party advertising serves electoral or party-political objectives and operates under a different set of actors and regulatory considerations.
This distinction becomes especially significant when elections are announced.
CBC’s own archives show that government publicity operations can be affected by the Model Code of Conduct. In March 2024, CBC published notices concerning withdrawal of new media campaigns, outdoor campaigns, and advertisements on private television, FM, radio, and community radio after the announcement of the Lok Sabha election.
Government communicators therefore need to consider not only media planning and administrative rules, but also election-period restrictions that can affect active publicity.
DAVP’s historical association with government advertising should not be interpreted as giving ministries unrestricted authority to run paid communication regardless of election rules.
How a Government Advertising Campaign Moves Through the System
A DAVP-style government campaign can be understood as a controlled sequence connecting a public communication requirement with approved media delivery.
The process begins with the client government body identifying the communication objective. The ministry or department defines the message, intended citizens, campaign need, geographical scope, and budget.
Campaign planning converts that requirement into suitable communication formats and media categories.
Creative development prepares the advertising assets required for the selected media.
Media selection determines where the communication should appear. This can include print, television, radio, digital media, outdoor advertising, cinema, physical publicity material, or a combination.
Empanelment rules determine the eligible media outlets, agencies, producers, or vendors within applicable categories.
Rates and commercial conditions determine the approved cost structure.
Release instructions authorise campaign placement or execution.
Media or vendors execute the approved work.
Verification checks whether the authorised communication was carried out according to the relevant instructions.
Billing and payment processing connect verified delivery with government financial procedures.
CBC’s current organisational allocation still contains these related responsibilities across campaign planning, policy, empanelment, production, rate management, billing, outreach, and media-specific operations.
The exact workflow varies by media type and policy. A newspaper advertisement does not follow every operational step used for an audio-visual production or an outdoor campaign. The shared principle is controlled government expenditure through approved procedures and documented media arrangements.
Why DAVP Rates Remain a Common Search Term
People continue searching for DAVP rates, DAVP empanelment, DAVP newspaper registration, DAVP advertising, and DAVP website empanelment because the DAVP name was used for decades and remains present in older policy documents, media-industry terminology, archives, and even some government web material.
Current searches should be interpreted carefully.
Someone searching for DAVP newspaper rates usually needs current CBC print media rate information.
Someone searching for DAVP empanelment usually needs the CBC vendor registration or relevant media empanelment process.
Someone searching for DAVP digital advertising may need CBC’s Digital Media Advertisement Policy and current digital media notices.
Someone searching for DAVP outdoor rates needs current CBC outdoor policy or rate material.
Someone searching for DAVP contact details should verify the current CBC directory rather than relying only on historical DAVP contact information.
The National Portal of India still contains a DAVP-labelled directory entry linking users to government contact information, which illustrates how the former name remains visible across public web records even after the organisational restructuring.
Using both names in research is therefore practical, but current compliance and commercial decisions should rely on the latest CBC documentation.
What Publishers, Media Owners and Agencies Need to Know Today
Publishers and agencies interested in Central Government advertising should treat current CBC policies and notices as the operational source rather than assuming historical DAVP procedures remain unchanged.
The first step is identifying the correct media category.
A newspaper publisher needs print media requirements.
A website needs internet website advertising requirements.
A social media agency needs the relevant digital advertising and agency framework.
An audio-visual producer needs producer empanelment requirements.
A private television or radio operator needs the applicable audio-visual media rules.
An outdoor media owner needs outdoor or personal media requirements.
A printer needs the applicable printed publicity empanelment framework.
CBC’s policy directory publishes separate policy areas for print media, audio-visual media, outdoor publicity, digital media, printed publicity, and mass mailing.
Applicants should then review the current policy, eligibility requirements, application window, documentation requirements, category conditions, rate structure, renewal requirements, billing instructions, and current advisories.
Current notices matter because empanelment windows open and close, policies are revised, category requirements change, and administrative instructions are updated.
A historical DAVP document remains useful for understanding the system’s development. It should not automatically be used as the current operational rule.
DAVP’s Lasting Role in Government Communication
DAVP established a centralised operating model for Government of India advertising that connected public communication with media planning, creative production, empanelment, rates, media release, physical distribution, verification, and payment administration.
Its importance lies in the system it created.
Central ministries did not need to build separate national advertising networks for every campaign.
Media providers could work through defined government policies and panels.
Campaign planners could combine multiple media according to audience and communication requirements.
Government expenditure could be connected to approved rates and administrative processes.
Citizens could receive policy and programme information through national, regional, local, physical, broadcast, and digital communication channels.
The 2017 creation of the Central Bureau of Communication expanded this model by bringing advertising, field publicity, and live communication functions into a single organisation. CBC now carries forward the advertising and visual communication work formerly associated with DAVP while operating across newer media categories and current government communication requirements.
For researchers, publishers, advertising agencies, government communication teams, media owners, policy professionals, and students, the clearest interpretation is therefore simple. DAVP is the historical foundation of India’s central government advertising system, while CBC is the current organisation responsible for the continuing advertising and outreach functions.
Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity played a central role in building the Government of India’s organised advertising and public communication system. DAVP connected ministries and government bodies with approved media through structured processes for campaign planning, creative production, media selection, empanelment, rate administration, advertisement release, verification, and billing.
Its importance continues even though DAVP no longer operates as a separate organisation. Since 8 December 2017, its core advertising functions have continued within the Central Bureau of Communication under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. CBC now manages government communication across print, television, radio, outdoor media, digital platforms, printed publicity, exhibitions, and field outreach.
For publishers, media owners, advertising agencies, communication professionals, researchers, and government departments, the distinction between DAVP and CBC is important. DAVP explains the historical structure and terminology still found in older policies, rate documents, and media references. CBC is the current authority for active policies, empanelment procedures, advertising rates, vendor registration, campaign requirements, and official notices.
The DAVP model also shows why government advertising requires more than media buying. Public communication must consider audience, geography, language, media access, policy rules, expenditure controls, election-period restrictions, and verification requirements. The current CBC system continues this structured approach while extending government communication into newer digital and multimedia formats.
Understanding DAVP therefore provides the historical and operational context needed to understand how Central Government advertising works in India today.
Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity (DAVP): FAQs
What Is The Directorate Of Advertising & Visual Publicity (DAVP)?
The Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity was the Government of India’s central multi-media advertising agency. It managed government communication campaigns across print, television, radio, outdoor media, printed publicity, exhibitions, and other communication channels.
When Was DAVP Established?
DAVP traces its origins to the government advertising system created during the Second World War. The Advertising Consultant’s office became the Advertising Branch of the Department of Information and Broadcasting on 1 March 1942. The organisation later became known as the Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity in 1955.
Is DAVP Still Operating In India?
DAVP no longer operates as a separate organisation. On 8 December 2017, DAVP was integrated with the Directorate of Field Publicity and the Song & Drama Division to form the Central Bureau of Communication under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
What Is The Central Bureau Of Communication (CBC)?
The Central Bureau of Communication is the current Government of India organisation responsible for major advertising, media communication, and public outreach activities that were previously handled by DAVP and other government communication units.
What Were The Main Functions Of DAVP?
DAVP handled government advertising planning, creative production, media selection, media empanelment, advertising rate administration, advertisement release, campaign execution, verification, billing, and public communication across multiple media formats.
What Are DAVP Rates?
DAVP rates were approved advertising rates used for eligible media outlets and government advertising campaigns. The term is still commonly used, but current advertisers, publishers, and media owners should refer to the latest CBC policies, rate information, and official notices.
How Does DAVP Empanelment Work Today?
DAVP empanelment functions are now managed through the Central Bureau of Communication. Eligible newspapers, websites, audio-visual producers, outdoor media operators, agencies, and other vendors must follow the relevant CBC policy, documentation requirements, application process, and eligibility conditions.
Which Media Channels Were Covered By DAVP?
DAVP worked across newspapers, magazines, television, radio, outdoor advertising, printed publicity, exhibitions, audio-visual production, mass distribution, and emerging media. CBC has expanded this system to include digital advertising, social media, digital cinema, bulk SMS, OBD, and other digital communication formats.
Can Political Parties Use DAVP For Election Advertising?
DAVP primarily handled Government of India communication rather than political party advertising. Government publicity and political party campaigning operate under different administrative and regulatory frameworks. Government advertising can also face restrictions during election periods under applicable Model Code of Conduct requirements.
Who Should Use CBC Instead Of Searching For DAVP Services?
Publishers, media owners, advertising agencies, digital platforms, audio-visual producers, outdoor media providers, printers, government departments, and communication professionals looking for current DAVP-related services should use the Central Bureau of Communication for current policies, empanelment procedures, rates, registrations, notices, and advertising requirements.
