The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has begun auctioning advertisement rights after lifting a seven-year ban on hoardings in the city, with the aim of generating over ₹500 crore in revenue. However, local companies fear they may lose out to bidders from other States.
Last month, the Karnataka government introduced a new advertising policy, but the rules framed under it have left advertisers deeply dissatisfied. During the pre-bid meeting, attended by more than 60 companies, several concerns were raised, with many alleging that the system is designed to “favour” large firms.
A local advertiser who attended the meeting said the entire process of participating in the bid has been made unnecessarily cumbersome.
“The tenders were floated in the last week of July, and the last date to upload them is August 25. This leaves hardly any time to secure advertising rights and obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC),” the advertiser explained.
The tender document requires bidders to obtain fresh rights, as the previous enrolment is seven years old, and to secure an NOC from the civic body’s advertisement department.
