Namma Metro coaches will be wrapped with advertisements

BMRCL officials said the advertisements will not obstruct the view from the windows. | Photo Credit: k BHAGYA PRAKASH

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For the first time, advertisements will be displayed on Namma Metro trains as Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has floated its first tender for the scheme, marking a new way to generate non-fare revenue.

BMRCL officials have confirmed that trains on the Green and Purple lines will soon be wrapped in advertisements. They said that the view from the windows will not be disturbed. “They will be used in a way that will preserve the beauty of the trains. This is the first time we are doing this kind of work. “Since our inception in 2011, we are the only metro system in India that has never displayed advertisements on its trains,” said a BMRCL official.

BMRCL operates 57 six-coach train sets on two lines.

Focus on passive income

The main objective is to increase non-cash income. Metro systems across India have already adopted this strategy, with trains running in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kochi with advertisements for several years. Delhi Metro started this practice in 2014.

Now, one train is wrapped in the same way, but not for commercial purposes. In March 2022, BMRCL covered the train with pictures and slogans commemorating India’s freedom struggle as part of the “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” programme. It cost around Rs 8.5 lakh and took 10 days to complete.

BMRCL officials said that advertising inside trains and stations has been an ongoing effort to generate non-fare revenue. However, in August 2018, BMRCL faced problems when the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) banned outdoor advertisements, including those on metro pillars and medians under viaducts, following a Supreme Court order. Before this ban, BMRCL was earning around Rs 10 crore a year from such advertisements.

Other non-boarding programs

In 2023, BMRCL resumed giving permission for recording on station premises and inside municipal coaches. It also continues to lease retail space, ATMs, and parking spaces at metro stations. Other plans include the establishment of advertising spaces, charging stations for electric cars, and the leasing of telephone towers and fiber optic cables.

In 2017, it leased 13 acres of its land near Nagasandra metro station to IKEA India Pvt. Ltd. under a 60-year agreement. This deal brought in R251 crore.

Aesthetic concerns

The move to have advertisements on trains has evoked mixed reactions from passengers.

Maya Chandrasekhar said, “I understand that BMRCL needs to raise money, but I hope these advertisements do not make the trains look important.” Nithin Kumar said, “We are already inundated with advertisements everywhere – on buses, hoards, even on our phones. They should not turn trains into moving boards.”

Mahesh Prabhu said that advertisements should be done in a pleasant manner and should not obstruct the view from the windows. “If the revenue can help keep fares down and improve services, I’m all for it.”