After a hiatus of almost seven years, advertising is officially making a grand return to Namma Metro pillars across Bengaluru. The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) has initiated tenders for showcasing advertisements on various piers and portals throughout its extensive network. This significant development follows revised advertising bye-laws issued by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), now operating under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), which explicitly permits BMRCL to utilize its infrastructure for commercial displays.
These new advertising opportunities will span both existing operational lines—the Purple, Green, and Yellow corridors—and the eagerly anticipated Pink and Blue lines currently under construction. BMRCL officials have confirmed that these advertisements will adorn specific metro pillars and portals, reinstating a revenue-generating practice halted back in 2018.
The initial ban on outdoor advertising was implemented by the BBMP in August 2018, primarily to curb what was termed ‘visual pollution’ across Bengaluru. This sweeping prohibition notably affected metro pillars and the medians below viaducts. Before this ban, BMRCL managed to generate approximately ₹10 crore each year solely from pillar advertisements. The abrupt cessation of this income stream forced BMRCL to urgently seek new avenues for non-fare revenue.
A senior BMRCL official explained, ‘We ceased offering space for metro pillar advertisements following the 2018 ban. However, with the subsequent release of draft bye-laws by the BBMP, we finally received clear guidance regarding our advertising rights.’
Fast forward to July 2025, the BBMP formalized the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (Advertisement) Bye-Laws, 2024, under the new Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024. These updated regulations specifically authorize BMRCL to display advertisements on its own assets, including metro stations, pillars, and associated infrastructure. Crucially, these areas are now exempt from the BBMP’s general advertisement zones.
It’s important to note a revenue-sharing agreement: ‘If an advertisement on a metro structure is visible from an area managed by the BBMP, the revenue generated will be split equally between the BBMP and BMRCL,’ clarified an official.
Boosting Non-Fare Revenue: A Strategic Imperative
BMRCL has consistently explored avenues to diversify its income streams beyond ticket sales. A prime example is the June 2025 introduction of striking full-body advertisement wraps on trains operating on the Purple and Green lines—a historic first in the metro’s 13-year operational span.
These train wraps were secured through two distinct seven-year agreements with advertising agencies, fetching ₹1.26 crore and ₹81.49 lakh, respectively. Metro officials also highlighted that existing indoor advertisements within stations and inside train coaches remain significant contributors to non-fare revenue.
Additional income-generating ventures for BMRCL encompass a range of services: retail spaces, ATMs, parking facilities, promotional kiosks, leases for electric vehicle charging points, and dedicated areas for telecom towers and optical fibre cables. In 2023, the corporation also reinstated permissions for film shoots within stations and on trains, adding another unique revenue channel.
One of BMRCL’s most profitable undertakings was the 2017 lease of 13 acres of land near Nagasandra metro station to IKEA India Private Limited. This 60-year agreement alone brought in a substantial ₹251 crore.
Fare Fixation Committee Emphasizes Non-Fare Revenue’s Vital Role
The much-anticipated report from the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC), finally released after months of public demand, underscored the critical need to bolster non-fare revenue. The report revealed that in 2023–24, while BMRCL’s fare box collection reached ₹573.91 crore, its property-derived income amounted to a mere ₹50.05 crore, representing a modest 8.72% of its fare revenue.
According to the FFC report, fare box revenue is complemented by earnings from property ventures, various advertisements, kiosks, shop rentals, parking fees, station naming rights, and train wrapping. The report explicitly noted: ‘During the FY 2023-24, BMRCL generated ₹50.05 crore from property business, constituting 8.72% of the ₹573.91 crore collected from fare box revenue.’
BMRCL communicated to the FFC that with the finalization of Karnataka’s advertisement policy, which is expected to allow BMRCL to showcase advertisements outside metro stations, the non-fare box revenue is projected to increase significantly, potentially by ₹60 crore to ₹80 crore annually.
Officials are confident that bringing back pillar advertising will not only recoup past revenue losses but also unlock new opportunities as the metro network expands. ‘As Bengaluru’s metro system is set to reach an operational length of 220 km by 2029, the sheer number of pillars and structures available for advertising will surge. This expansion will provide BMRCL with a robust and consistent stream of non-fare revenue,’ a senior metro official affirmed.