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The move is aimed at strengthening the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation\u2019s (DMRC) non-ticketing earnings, while turning its trains into a premium advertising platform, an official said.<\/p>\n
\nThe initiative also seeks to position the metro alongside leading global transit systems and airports for audio advertising, he added.
To take the plan forward, the corporation has floated a tender inviting agencies to secure, market and manage in-train audio advertisement slots across six trains each on the Red (Line 1), Yellow (Line 2), Blue (Line 3) and Magenta (Line 8) corridors, the official said.<\/p>\n
The Yellow Line, one of the capital\u2019s oldest and busiest metro corridors connecting Kashmere Gate and Sultanpur, offers the largest uninterrupted advertising inventory among the four routes after the Red Line\u2019s cumulative inventory, with 596 seconds of audio slots available in both directions, the official said.<\/p>\n
The Red Line, connecting Dilshad Garden and Rithala, has the highest overall inventory at 721 seconds, followed by the Blue Line between Dwarka and Yamuna Bank with 634 seconds. The Magenta Line between Janakpuri West and Botanical Garden has 300 seconds, the official explained.<\/p>\n
He specified that advertisements will be aired only during silent intervals between routine operational announcements, with passenger information and safety messages receiving absolute priority.<\/p>\n
It also requires adequate gaps between commercials to ensure convenience for commuters.<\/p>\n
According to the official, the system follows international practices adopted by major metro networks, where commercial announcements are carefully integrated, without disrupting essential travel information. The sound quality, volume and frequency of the advertisements will also be regulated.<\/p>\n
The DMRC first introduced in-train audio advertisements on six trains operating on the Violet Line between Kashmere Gate and Badarpur in December 2023.<\/p>\n
The proposed expansion indicates that the corporation now intends to extend the model to several of its busiest corridors, the official added.<\/p>\n
Under the proposed arrangement, the selected agency will be responsible for marketing the available inventory, scheduling advertisements between stations, coordinating technical execution with the DMRC and maintaining financial records related to the campaign, he said.<\/p>\n
According to the official, the agency will collect advertising revenue from clients before transferring the DMRC\u2019s share and the metro corporation will receive 85 per cent of the gross revenue generated through the advertisements, while the remaining share will stay with the licensee.<\/p>\n
The agreement also reserves up to 5 per cent of the total advertising inventory in each train for social or corporate social responsibility messages. The cost of airing such public-interest campaigns will be borne by the DMRC, the official said.<\/p>\n
He said agencies are requested to develop innovative advertising opportunities inside metro trains, while ensuring that their campaigns complement Delhi\u2019s image and showcase its heritage and cultural identity.<\/p>\n
The DMRC has maintained that commuter convenience will remain paramount and that service announcements will always take precedence over commercial messages.<\/p>\n
Advertisements will continue to be played only in the gaps between operational announcements, ensuring that passenger information remains uninterrupted, the official added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n