The B2B Agency-Trap Cost Calculator

Agency vs. Consultant: What Indian Founders Get Wrong

Most founders choose between an agency and a consultant based on perceived size or safety. The reality is more nuanced. An agency with 50 employees doesn't automatically mean better results — it often means your ₹80,000/month retainer funds three layers of account management before any actual marketing work happens.

The Real Cost of Agency Overhead

A typical mid-size Indian digital marketing agency charges ₹60,000–₹1,50,000/month. Of that:

• 30–40% goes to account management and client servicing
• 20–30% goes to agency overhead (rent, admin, HR)
• The remaining 30–50% is the actual marketing execution — often done by a junior executive

When an Agency Makes Sense

• You have ₹5L+/month in combined ad spend across multiple channels and need dedicated operations
• You need 24/7 account management and a team available at all times
• You are running large-scale e-commerce or performance marketing at volume

When a Senior Consultant Is Better

• You are a founder-led business that needs a strategic partner, not just execution
• Your marketing budget is ₹30,000–₹3,00,000/month — agencies don't give you senior attention at this range
• You've been burned by agency handoffs to junior account managers after onboarding
• You need cross-channel coordination between SEO, ads, and website — not siloed channel execution

Read more: How to Choose a Digital Marketing Consultant in India

See how this compares in practice: About Sachin Jangir — founder-direct consulting — all services are delivered without junior account managers or handoffs.