New Delhi: Prasar Bharati has initiated a fresh push into the digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising space by inviting private sector participation to develop and operate LED-based outdoor advertising infrastructure at its premises in Patna and Port Blair under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
Separate Expressions of Interest (EOIs) have been floated by Akashvani Patna and Doordarshan Kendra Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair), with both projects aimed at unlocking commercial value from the broadcaster’s land assets while creating new revenue opportunities through digital advertising. The deadline for submitting applications is July 22.
The selected concessionaires will be responsible for funding the entire project, including the design, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance of LED unipole advertising structures. In return, they will be permitted to commercially utilise the digital displays while sharing annual revenue with Prasar Bharati under mutually agreed terms.
As part of the agreement, the successful agencies must reserve 33% of the total display time across all time bands free of cost for Prasar Bharati and government communication campaigns.
At Akashvani Patna, the proposed digital advertising infrastructure will be established at the broadcaster’s Frazer Road premises. The concession period has been set at five years, with an option to extend it for another five years. Ownership of the LED infrastructure will be transferred to Prasar Bharati once the concession term concludes.
The Doordarshan Kendra Sri Vijaya Puram project follows a similar framework, with the selected agency tasked with developing and managing LED unipole advertising structures at the broadcaster’s Delanipur campus in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
For both projects, private partners will undertake end-to-end execution, including site surveys, structural design, securing approvals from civic and statutory authorities, arranging electricity connections, installation of LED displays, commercial operation of advertising inventory and ongoing structural, electrical and mechanical maintenance throughout the concession period.
Prasar Bharati has also stipulated that concessionaires must adhere to its advertising policy as well as all applicable municipal advertising rules, traffic and highway regulations, structural safety norms and environmental standards. The broadcaster has clarified that responsibility for any theft, damage or obstruction affecting the advertising infrastructure during the contract period will rest with the concessionaire.
According to the technical requirements outlined in the EOIs, the LED displays should feature high-brightness full-colour screens with a minimum operational life of 100,000 hours and support remote content management for digital advertising campaigns.
The initiative reflects Prasar Bharati’s broader strategy to diversify its commercial revenues by monetising its real estate and infrastructure assets beyond conventional broadcasting operations. As digital outdoor advertising continues to gain traction, LED unipole installations have emerged as an attractive format for advertisers, offering dynamic content delivery, remote campaign management and stronger revenue potential compared to traditional static billboards.
