A metro train wrapped with an advertisement on Monday.
PHOTO: BMRCL
Bengaluru: Namma Metro has begun wrapping select trains with advertisements as parts of efforts to increase its non-fare revenue.
On Monday, some trains operated with their exteriors fully wrapped with advertisements of a quick commerce site and a smartphone maker.
In April, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) signed seven-year train advertising agreements with two private companies. The agreement with Mudra Ventures is for Rs 1.26 crore and covers trains on the Purple Line. The agreement with Lokesh Outdoor is for Rs 81.49 lakh and covers trains on the Green Line.
The companies were issued the Letter of Acceptance (LoA) on January 29.
Initially, 10 metro trains will carry these advertisements. The BMRCL had to make a leap of faith before allowing train wrapping. Officials were apprehensive that train wrapping could damage the outer skin of the coaches. However, a trial run on two trains alleviated these apprehensions.
The BMRCL aims to earn Rs 100 crore per year through advertisements, commercial rentals, and semi-naming rights as part of its strategy to boost non-fare revenue. Of this, Rs 25 crore will come from train advertising.
The BMRCL plans to increase non-fare revenue to about 15% of the fare box revenue, which stood at Rs 573.91 crore in 2023-24, DH reported on March 1.