Bengaluru metro to bring back pillar advertisements after 7-year ban, eyes ₹60–80 crore boost

BMRCL has invited tenders to display ads on metro pillars and portals across Bengaluru, aiming to significantly boost non-fare revenue after new advertisement bye-laws.

Advertisements are set to make a comeback on Namma Metro pillars after nearly seven years, with Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) inviting tenders to display ads on select piers and portals across its entire network. The move follows the notification of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) — now Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) — Advertisement Bye-Laws, 2024, which explicitly allow BMRCL to monetise its infrastructure.

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The tender covers operational corridors including the Purple, Green, and Yellow lines, as well as upcoming Pink and Blue lines. Advertisements on metro pillars were discontinued in 2018 when BBMP imposed a city-wide ban on outdoor advertising citing visual clutter. The decision at the time left BMRCL struggling to replace nearly ₹10 crore in annual pillar ad revenue.

The new bye-laws, issued under the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, grant BMRCL full advertising rights on metro stations, pillars, and related infrastructure, while excluding them from BBMP’s designated ad zones. However, if an ad on metro property is visible from a BBMP-assigned area, revenue will be shared equally between both bodies.

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BMRCL’s push to revive outdoor advertising is part of a broader strategy to strengthen non-fare revenue streams. Its initiatives include full-body advertisement wraps on metro trains (introduced for the first time in June 2025), retail leasing, ATMs, parking spaces, promotional kiosks, EV charging stations, telecom tower rentals, and film shoot permissions. The corporation’s most notable deal remains its 60-year lease of 13 acres near Nagasandra station to IKEA India for ₹251 crore.

According to the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) report, BMRCL earned only ₹50.05 crore from property-related income in 2023–24, just 8.72% of its ₹573.91 crore fare box revenue. The report recommended a strong focus on non-fare revenue, noting that restored pillar advertising could add ₹60–80 crore annually.

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With Bengaluru’s metro network expected to expand to 220 km by 2029, the number of pillars and advertising surfaces will multiply, potentially making outdoor advertising one of BMRCL’s most lucrative revenue streams in the coming years.