DMRC calls tender for seven metro stations on Blue line

The tender price is expected to escalate by three-four times for Indraprastha, Pragati Maidan and Mandi House Metro stations, which have been opened for bidding for the second time.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has called for bids for advertisement rights inside seven metro stations. These stations include Mandi House, Pragati Maidan, Indraprastha, Kaushambi, Vaishali, Dwarka Sector 8 and Dwarka Sector 21. The total ad space available is 1169.12 sq. m. The ad rights will be awarded for a period of five years.

The advertisement rights for the three stations - Indraprastha, Pragati Maidan and Mandi House - are with TDI International since December 6, 2006. DMRC's contract with the agency expires on December 5, 2010. The agency pays an annual license fee of Rs 1.33 crore for the three stations.

The stations provide advertisement space of about 400 sq. m inside Indraprastha (200 sq. m) and Pragati Maidan (200 sq. m) in the form of already installed panels and as well as bare sites. Bare sites need to be identified. Mandi House Metro station has 24 pre-designed and pre-fabricated advertising panels, totalling ad space of 69.12 sq. m.

The three stations receive about 2 lakh footfalls (each) every day and are among the premium stations of the DMRC. As one of the industry experts puts it, "Pragati Maidan Metro station is one of the best stations, buzzing with all kinds of activities due to its proximity to Pragati Maidan." Therefore, after five years, the tender price is expected to escalate by three-four times for these three stations.

The ad rights for the other four stations, all on the Blue line, are being opened for the first time. Vaishali will be the last stoppage on the Yamuna Bank-Anand Vihar route, while Kaushambi will fall between Anand Vihar and Vaishali.

Similarly, Dwarka Sector 21 is the last stop on the Rajiv Chowk-Dwarka route. The metro station is also the last on the Airport Express route, which connects New Delhi Railway Station to Indira Gandhi International Airport.

For the advertisement space of approximately 700 sq. m inside Kaushambi (200 sq. m), Vaishali (200 sq. m), Dwarka Sec 8 (200 sq. m) and Dwarka Sec 21 (100 sq. m) stations, the bare sites need to be identified, media vehicles fabricated, installed and commissioned by the licensee, with prior approval and as per standards of DMRC.

Interested parties will have to deposit an earnest money of Rs 10 lakh.