LED hoardings in city invite ads ahead of official clearances

Taking a cue from the recently notified Advertisement Bylaws, commercial establishments that are engaged in self-advertising through LED hoardings are now inviting companies to advertise through them. This move has come even before corporations have begun granting permissions through the One-Time Opportunity (OTO) window.

Scores of LED hoardings have cropped up across the city, especially in the Central Bengaluru District (CBD). Screens are running messages such as ‘advertise with us’ and ‘contact for advertising’, along with contact details. Many of them are already displaying advertisements, and some are even running video ads, despite a strict warning against such activity in the bylaws.

Well-placed sources in two city corporations confirmed that although they have enquiries from individuals seeking to regularise self-advertisement as commercial advertising, these applications are yet to be reviewed, and no authorisation has been granted so far.

The lack of authorisation means that these commercial establishments have not yet undergone scrutiny or received clearances from the corporations. Such approval would require the establishments to fulfil all the criteria listed in the Greater Bengaluru Area (Advertisement) Rules, 2025.

Ban on commercial advertising

On January 13, the Urban Development Department (UDD) notified the new Advertisement Bylaws, lifting an eight-year ban and paving the way for the new city corporations to generate a source of revenue. Although advertisements were banned for eight years, self-advertising was still permitted, strictly after obtaining permission from the zonal offices of the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

The self-advertisement provision allowed individuals to display advertisements in their own establishments. For instance, a clothing brand could advertise only its own products, including through LED displays, on its private property. However, advertising for other companies remained prohibited. Despite the rule in place, it was rampantly violated across the city due to poor enforcement. Such advertising is still prevalent in some areas, even though the North and Central Corporations undertook a special drive and disconnected power connections to illegal hoardings. According to some sources from the corporation, both corporations removed more than 80 LED hoardings in the last week.

Considering the widespread violations despite the ban, the Greater Bengaluru Area (GBA) has allowed the commercialisation of self-advertising rights through the OTO window, which could be an income source.

Rules under new bylaws

The notified Advertisement Bylaws state: “The self-advertisement-based permissions obtained for the LED display under any of the previous Advertisement Bylaws and which are presently valid and within their permission period shall be given OTO to convert the same to a commercial advertisement hoarding.”

It further states that such regularisation shall be permitted only if there are no unpaid advertisement taxes or fee arrears as on the date of notification of the rules that the LED displays are sought to be converted into a commercial hoarding. A No-Dues Certificate should also be obtained from the Advertisement Section of the City Corporation.

“Such an application, once approved as per eligibility by the Commissioner of the concerned City Corporation, shall be allowed to display commercial advertisements for a period of five years from the date of the order of approval,” the notification states.

Without completing these steps, commercial establishments are not permitted to advertise anything beyond self-advertising. However, some establishments appear to have read the rules proactively and have already begun inviting advertisements. Considering the rush with which commercial establishments are soliciting advertisements and the strong interest shown by companies, as confirmed by corporation sources, Bengaluru is set to be flooded with LED advertisements, particularly in commercial areas.