Bengaluru’s Ibbaluru Metro station will be renamed InMobi Ibbaluru Metro Station under a Rs 65 crore memorandum of understanding signed between the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and technology company InMobi. The agreement covers the station’s naming rights and is expected to provide revenue to the metro corporation.
The station is being built on the Blue Line under Namma Metro’s Phase 2A project, which connects Silk Board, KR Puram and Kempegowda International Airport. The renaming agreement makes Ibbaluru one of the latest metro stations to be associated with a corporate brand as BMRCL seeks to increase income from sources other than passenger fares.
According to the report, the Rs 65 crore agreement includes both the naming rights and the construction cost of the station. BMRCL will receive the amount under the arrangement. The report does not specify the duration of the naming-rights agreement or the detailed terms governing branding at the station.
Ibbaluru is located along Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road, near the junction connecting Bellandur, Sarjapur Road, HSR Layout and Marathahalli. The corridor is surrounded by technology and other companies, making the station relevant to a large daily commuter base working in and around the Outer Ring Road employment district.
The station is also planned as an important interchange point. The report states that it will connect the Blue Line with the proposed Red Line, placing Ibbaluru within the future interchange network of Bengaluru’s metro system. The Red Line is among the city’s planned metro corridors, although the report does not provide a construction or opening schedule for the interchange.
BMRCL managing director Dr PC Jaffer described InMobi’s participation as an example of corporate support for public transport infrastructure. “We are proud to welcome InMobi, India’s first double unicorn company, as our partner in metro infrastructure development,” he said, according to the report. Jaffer added that the agreement demonstrated how major companies could make meaningful contributions to the growth of public transport and help increase Namma Metro’s other revenue.
InMobi chief executive officer Naveen Tewari said Bengaluru had given the company confidence to grow globally and that the agreement represented its effort to contribute back to the city. He linked the partnership to the company’s stated position on supporting community development.
The agreement comes as BMRCL continues to expand a network intended to serve major employment corridors as well as residential areas. For commuters on the Outer Ring Road, the operational value of Ibbaluru station will depend on the completion and commissioning of the Blue Line, along with effective interchange connectivity to other corridors.
The report also states that the long-awaited Pink Line is scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 13, according to Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. No further details on the inauguration arrangements or the opening of Ibbaluru station were provided in the report.
