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    Bengaluru Metro Brings Back Pillar Ads, Expected To Earn Rs 80 Crore Per Year

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    By Auto Desk,News18,Sahas Mahapatra

    Copyright news18

    Bengaluru Metro Brings Back Pillar Ads, Expected To Earn Rs 80 Crore Per Year

    Advertisements on metro pillars are set to return in Bengaluru after seven long years. The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has decided to allow ad placements once again and has invited bids to use thousands of metro pillars across the city. A fresh tender has been issued that includes not only the Purple, Green and Yellow Line corridors, as well as the upcoming Pink and Blue Lines.
    This decision is seen as a major push to revive outdoor advertising in the city while also creating a new source of revenue for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Before the ban in 2018, BMRCL was earning nearly Rs 10 crore each year from the advertisements. Now, experts believe the fresh plan might generate higher numbers, estimated between Rs 60 crore and Rs 80 crore annually, The Hindu reported.
    Metro Pillar Advertisements Set To Return After Seven Years
    As per The Hindu, a senior BMRCL official said, “BMRCL had stopped providing space to display advertisements on metro pillars after the ban was imposed in 2018. Later, BBMP came out with draft by-laws, from which we finally got clarity on advertising rights. If any advertisement placed on a metro structure is visible from a BBMP-assigned area, the revenue will be shared equally between BBMP and BMRCL.”
    Other officials claim that bringing back pillar advertisements will help recover lost revenue and create more opportunities.
    BBMP’s 2018 Ban And 2024 Advertisement Byelaws Explained
    In 2018, the BBMP banned all outdoor advertisements after the Karnataka High Court criticised the uncontrolled spread of hoardings and flexes that spoiled Bengaluru’s skyline.
    In February 2025, deputy chief minister and Bengaluru development minister, DK Shivakumar, announced that ads will be allowed on metro pillars and instructed BMRCL and BBMP to share the revenue equally. Later in July, BBMP released its Advertisement Byelaws 2024 for the Greater Bengaluru area. These rules set clear limits on ad sizes, distance between hoardings and other guidelines.
    The metro has introduced several non fare revenue initiatives to boost income. These include wrapping metro coaches with advertisements, leasing space for retail outlets, ATMs and parking areas and allowing film shoots on the premises.
    Promotional kiosks and advertisements inside stations also contribute to revenue, alongside the installation of EV charging stations and telecom towers with fibre cables.