Scopus-Indexed Open Access Journals with APC Below ₹25,000 (Subject-Wise List)

Updated: 3 November 2026

Introduction

You do not need to pay ₹1–2 lakh to publish in a Scopus-indexed open access journal. Dozens of reputable journals charge nothing at all, and many more charge well under ₹25,000. This blog lists such journals subject-wise, so PhD scholars, faculty members and early-career researchers can pick a target journal without straining their budget.

For Indian scholars, Scopus indexing matters for PhD submission norms, faculty recruitment, API scores and promotions. Yet the Article Processing Charge (APC) of big commercial open access journals often runs between USD 1,500 and USD 3,000, which is ₹1.25 lakh to ₹2.5 lakh. That is out of reach for most self-funded researchers. The good news is that government bodies, universities and learned societies in India and abroad run high-quality journals that keep APCs at zero or close to it.

What Is an APC, and Why ₹25,000?

An Article Processing Charge is the fee an open access journal collects from authors after acceptance. It replaces the subscription income a traditional journal earns from libraries. Readers then access the article free of cost.

Three publishing models matter here:

• Diamond (or platinum) open access: no fee for authors and no fee for readers. A government body, university or society pays the costs.
• Gold open access with low APC: the author pays, but the fee is modest.
• Sponsored gold open access: the journal has an APC on paper, but a host institution pays it on the author's behalf.

We use ₹25,000 (roughly USD 290) as the ceiling because it is a realistic amount for a self-funded scholar or a small departmental grant. Almost every journal below is actually diamond open access, so the effective cost to you is ₹0.

Subject-Wise List of Scopus-Indexed Open Access Journals (APC Below ₹25,000)

All journals below charge authors ₹0 as of November 2026. Check each journal's own website and the Scopus source list before you submit, since coverage and fee policies can change.

1. Chemistry, Physics and Biological Sciences

CSIR-NIScPR (New Delhi) publishes a family of diamond open access journals that levy no APC on authors and no subscription on readers. TÜBİTAK (Türkiye) runs 11 peer-reviewed journals that follow the diamond model and require no APC.

2. Engineering, Technology and Computer Science

3. Medical and Health Sciences

IJMR, the flagship journal of ICMR, is indexed in Scopus and Web of Science and makes its content freely available.

4. Agriculture and Allied Sciences

IJAgS is indexed in Scopus, ESCI and DOAJ, with a NAAS rating of 6.7 for 2026.

5. Mathematics and Earth Sciences

6. Education

IRRODL is a Q1 education journal with a 2025 CiteScore of 6.8, and it charges no APC. Its acceptance rate is about 5%, so submit only polished work.

7. Management, Law and Social Sciences

IIMB Management Review lists a USD 1,200 APC on Elsevier, but IIM Bangalore bears the charge on authors' behalf. Confirm this at acceptance.

8. Library and Information Science

How to Verify a Journal Before You Submit

Low-cost publishing attracts fraudsters. Hijacked and clone journals copy the name and ISSN of a genuine Scopus title and then demand a fee. Follow these checks every time:

1. Search the Scopus Sources list (scopus.com/sources) by ISSN, not by title. Confirm the coverage is current and not marked "discontinued".
2. Open the journal website from Scopus itself. Click the publisher link on the Scopus source page rather than a link from an email or WhatsApp message.
3. Check DOAJ (doaj.org) for the APC field. DOAJ records whether a journal charges fees.
4. Match the ISSN on the website with the ISSN in Scopus. A mismatch is a red flag.
5. Be wary of guaranteed acceptance or review periods of a few days. Genuine journals take weeks or months.
6. Cross-check UGC-CARE if your university requires it for PhD or promotion purposes.

Also remember the Government of India's One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) scheme, which aims to cover APCs for Indian researchers in selected open access journals. Ask your university library whether your target journal is covered.

How ThesisLikho.com Helps Scholars

Finding a free Scopus journal is only half the battle. Free journals are often highly selective, because they receive far more submissions than they can publish. A well-prepared manuscript is what gets you through. This is where ThesisLikho.com supports researchers at every step:

• Journal selection: the team matches your manuscript's scope, method and quality to suitable Scopus-indexed journals, including zero- and low-APC options, so you avoid desk rejection.
• Clone and predatory journal screening: every recommended journal is cross-checked against Scopus, DOAJ and UGC-CARE before you submit.
• Manuscript writing and editing: subject experts help structure your research paper, sharpen the abstract, strengthen the literature review and improve academic English.
• Formatting to author guidelines: references, tables, figures and templates are aligned to the exact style the target journal demands.
• Plagiarism checking and reduction: similarity reports with guidance to bring the score within acceptable limits.
• Data analysis support: help with statistical tools such as SPSS, R, AMOS and Python, and with presenting results clearly.
• Responding to reviewers: point-by-point rebuttal letters and revision support after peer review.
• End-to-end PhD support: from synopsis and research proposal to thesis writing, so your publications and thesis tell one consistent story.

Conclusion

Publishing in a Scopus-indexed journal does not have to be expensive. Journals from CSIR-NIScPR, ICMR, ICAR, DRDO, TÜBİTAK, Athabasca University and IIM Bangalore offer credible, peer-reviewed outlets at little or no cost. Choose a journal that fits your subject, verify its indexing yourself, and invest your effort in the quality of the manuscript. Bookmark this list and check back, as we will update it when journal policies change.

Sources

• CSIR-NIScPR journals portal
• TÜBİTAK Academic Journals – About
• IJMR author instructions
• Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences
• IRRODL – Contact and key metrics
• IIMB Management Review editorial, March 2024
• Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology – Thieme