Bengaluru metro opens bidding for pillar advertisements, eyeing Rs 65 crore per year

New Delhi: After a seven-year hiatus, advertisements on metro pillars are set to return in Bengaluru, with the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) inviting bids to commercialise thousands of such structures, according to the report. The agency has floated a tender offering space along the Purple, Green, and Yellow Lines, as well as on the under-construction Pink and Blue Lines.

BMRCL has set a minimum annual concession fee of Rs 65 crore for advertising rights across all five metro corridors. The selected firm will pay this fixed fee to display advertisements on the pillars. 

The agreement will run for 12 years with a four-year lock-in period and can be extended up to a maximum of 15 years. The annual fee will be subject to a five per cent increase each year.

Together, the five corridors provide nearly 3.7 lakh square feet of advertising space across 4,956 pillars and portals. The Purple Line, connecting Challaghatta and Whitefield, alone accounts for 1,216 piers and portals with more than 95,000 square feet available. 

The Green Line has roughly 65,000 square feet across 962 piers and portals, while the Yellow Line adds another 48,000 square feet. The under-construction corridors contribute around 42,000 square feet on the elevated section of the Pink Line and close to 1.2 lakh square feet on the Blue Line.

On the Yellow Line, where the Biocon Foundation has transformed 43 pillars with Channapatna-themed art between Huskur Gate and the Biocon Hebbagodi stretch, rules differ. To preserve the heritage artwork, advertisers will be required to use smaller boards placed on the median, with designs approved by BMRCL.

The revival of pillar advertisements follows a shift in the city’s outdoor advertising policy. In 2018, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) banned all outdoor ads after the Karnataka High Court criticised the uncontrolled spread of hoardings and flex boards that affected the city skyline. 

In February 2025, deputy chief minister and Bengaluru development minister DK Shivakumar announced that advertisements would be allowed on metro pillars and directed BMRCL and BBMP to split the revenue equally.

In July, BBMP published its Advertisement Byelaws, 2024, for the Greater Bengaluru area. The regulations set limits on ad sizes, spacing between hoardings, and specifically exempt metro structures, including stations and piers, from standard advertising zones.

According to the report, BMRCL’s tender also lays down strict guidelines, prohibiting advertisements promoting tobacco, alcohol, obscenity, political messages, or content derogatory to any community or institution. 

Ad panels must comply with BBMP regulations, obtain necessary clearances, and use durable, tamper-proof materials. For digital panels, advertisers are required to meet luminance and fire safety norms and ensure that installations do not interfere with metro operations.

“The advertisements must be of international quality, aesthetically pleasing and technologically advanced,” the tender document says.

The metro has already introduced measures to monetise its infrastructure. In June, it allowed train wraps, enabling advertisers to cover entire coaches. According to the report, these non-fare revenue initiatives are expected to support BMRCL’s finances as operating costs rise and the network expands.