<p>The state government on Tuesday notified the Greater Bengaluru Area (Advertisement) Rules, 2025, empowering the city’s five municipal corporations to auction advertising rights.</p>.<p>The notification, revised several times over the past two years, lifts an eight-year ban on outdoor advertisements.</p>.<p>The new rules offer significant concessions to “legacy” advertisers — those with valid permissions under the BBMP Advertisement Byelaws, 2006 — by granting a one-time opportunity for regularisation for a fixed period.</p>.<p>Individuals who had put up commercial advertisements under the self-advertisement scheme have also been allowed to seek regularisation, though the corporations will not earn revenue from these cases.</p>.Bengaluru Metro floats Phase 3's first tenders; network to reach 222 km by 2031.<p>Among the key changes, the government has scrapped the requirement for advertisers to make an upfront payment for five months after securing ad rights. Instead, advertisers must now submit a surety bond from a general insurance company.</p>.<p>The rules also permit advertisement hoardings on footpaths, subject to approval by the city corporation. “There shall be no hoarding or advertisement on footpaths unless permitted for the benefit of pedestrians and without causing hindrance or annoyance,” the rules state.</p>.<p>While the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) had projected annual revenue of Rs 500 crore from the new policy, the exemptions and relaxations are expected to significantly reduce potential collections.</p>.<p>Under the new regime, commercial advertisements are prohibited on roads narrower than 18 metres, though this restriction is relaxed in streets notified as commercial or industrial zones. Allotted roads, circles and areas must be awarded only through open auction or tender. Advertisements on metro pillars, stations and viaducts have been excluded from city corporation tenders.</p>.<p>In the coming months, Bengaluru is likely to see a surge in LED hoardings with moving visuals, as advertisers increasingly opt for LED displays over static boards. However, officials and experts warn that such displays could distract motorists and raise safety concerns.</p>
<p>The state government on Tuesday notified the Greater Bengaluru Area (Advertisement) Rules, 2025, empowering the city’s five municipal corporations to auction advertising rights.</p>.<p>The notification, revised several times over the past two years, lifts an eight-year ban on outdoor advertisements.</p>.<p>The new rules offer significant concessions to “legacy” advertisers — those with valid permissions under the BBMP Advertisement Byelaws, 2006 — by granting a one-time opportunity for regularisation for a fixed period.</p>.<p>Individuals who had put up commercial advertisements under the self-advertisement scheme have also been allowed to seek regularisation, though the corporations will not earn revenue from these cases.</p>.Bengaluru Metro floats Phase 3's first tenders; network to reach 222 km by 2031.<p>Among the key changes, the government has scrapped the requirement for advertisers to make an upfront payment for five months after securing ad rights. Instead, advertisers must now submit a surety bond from a general insurance company.</p>.<p>The rules also permit advertisement hoardings on footpaths, subject to approval by the city corporation. “There shall be no hoarding or advertisement on footpaths unless permitted for the benefit of pedestrians and without causing hindrance or annoyance,” the rules state.</p>.<p>While the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) had projected annual revenue of Rs 500 crore from the new policy, the exemptions and relaxations are expected to significantly reduce potential collections.</p>.<p>Under the new regime, commercial advertisements are prohibited on roads narrower than 18 metres, though this restriction is relaxed in streets notified as commercial or industrial zones. Allotted roads, circles and areas must be awarded only through open auction or tender. Advertisements on metro pillars, stations and viaducts have been excluded from city corporation tenders.</p>.<p>In the coming months, Bengaluru is likely to see a surge in LED hoardings with moving visuals, as advertisers increasingly opt for LED displays over static boards. However, officials and experts warn that such displays could distract motorists and raise safety concerns.</p>