The Kolkata Metro Railway is a trend setter for all the existing and new metros that are coming across the country (in 24 cities), when it comes to optimum utilization of their premises for generating non-fare revenue such as branding, advertising rights, etc. According to an official report, the Kolkata Metro Railway has earned Rs.19.45 crore as non-fare revenue in the financial year 2021-22, which is said to be about 71% higher than the previous year’s earnings. The official statement said that this increase in non-fare revenue is significant in the Covid-pandemic year when normal Metro services were suspended for about two months in 2021-22. The Metro has ranked 3rd amongst all Zonal Railways after Central and Western Railways in terms of monthly non-fare revenue earnings.
The Kolkata Metro has completed the branding of 10 metro stations. It has a multi-pronged strategy to further increase non-fare revenue through advertisements inside and outside of metro rakes, sidewalls of escalators, hoardings in open spaces, health check up kiosks, digital clock, digital fare charts at different stations, naming of metro stations with a prefix of the sponsors (e.g. LIC). The Kolkata Metro has also designed innovative ideas such as station co-branding, branding on card balance checking terminals, automatic smart card recharge machines, AFC-PC gates, food kiosks, ATMs, smart cards, etc.
Even during the pandemic, some of the corporate houses have responded to such novel initiatives. It has successfully engaged various corporates for branding of stations, rakes, handle chains, AEC-PC gates, and sidewalls of escalators at Metro Stations. For e.g. in November 2021, the Metro Railway had signed a 5-year agreement with LIC (Life Insurance Corporation of India), for the co-branding of Phoolibagan and City Centre metro stations. This is for the first time that the Metro has handed over the branding right to a PSU such as LIC.
Moreover, recently, the Metro has engaged India`s largest hospital chain, Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals, for branding on their Tri-lingual colourful fare-display boards. These display boards are installed at Park Street and Jatin Das Park stations. Apollo will be able to display its commercials on these Digital Fare Display Boards. According to official information, another 81 such digital display boards will be installed in 26 Metro stations of the North-South Metro corridor.
In addition, the Kolkata Metro has recently installed photo frames (Ad spaces) on the sidewalls of escalators at 11 stations where corporate houses can display advertisements. There are in all 289 photo frame Ad spaces, mounted on the sidewalls of 34 escalators at these stations.
As a novel concept, the Metro has also offered branding space on the handle chains of 12 Medha AC rakes of the North-South Metro corridor. Tata Tiscon, a sister concern of Tata Steel, has obtained the branding right of all the handle chains of these Metro rakes for two years. It is said to be a new concept in the Indian Railway branding project.
