The BMRCL has invited Requests for Proposal (RFP) to design, develop, operate and maintain advertisements on select piers and portals along the Purple, Green and Yellow lines, as well as the elevated sections of the upcoming Pink and Blue lines.
Credit: DH FILE PHOTO
Bengaluru: Metro piers and portals across Bengaluru will soon carry commercial advertisements as the BMRCL looks to boost its non-fare revenue.
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has invited Requests for Proposal (RFP) to design, develop, operate and maintain advertisements on select piers and portals along the Purple, Green and Yellow lines, as well as the elevated sections of the upcoming Pink and Blue lines.
Through this initiative, the BMRCL expects to earn at least Rs 65 crore per year, with a 5% CAGR increase, for 12 years. The contract may be extended by three years, according to a senior official with direct knowledge of the matter.
In all, 3,69,640 square feet of advertising space will be available across the five lines, the official added.
The BMRCL issued the RFQ notice on September 18, after withdrawing a similar notice issued earlier this month. The BMRCL reportedly issued the new RFQ after raising the tender amount.
The official explained that a single agency would be awarded the contract across the five lines.
"We've set a base amount of Rs 65 crore, but the bidder can quote over and above this," the official told DH. "The highest bidder will get the contract."
The official explained that the contractor would have to invest in advertisement panels. "We expect good response," he said.
The contract for the Purple, Green and Yellow lines is expected to be awarded by the year-end, while the the Pink and Blue lines will carry the advertisements once they become operational.
The BMRCL decided to go for outdoor advertisements after the state government notified the advertisement bylaws 2024, lifting a seven-year ban on advertisement hoardings.
The BMRCL aims to increase non-fare revenue to about 15% of the fare box revenue, which stood at Rs 573.91 crore in 2023-24. It already runs advertisements inside trains and on their exteriors. It's in the process of finalising contracts for retail space and advertisements at stations and semi-naming rights.