The Municipal Corporation of Delhi plans to use artificial intelligence and geographic information system mapping to create a digital inventory of outdoor advertising sites across the city, in a 180-day pilot aimed at identifying unauthorised hoardings, assessing commercial potential and improving civic revenue.
The proposal covers hoardings, unipoles, kiosks, street furniture and other outdoor advertising structures. A selected agency would conduct a city-wide survey, geo-tag advertising assets and map them through a GIS platform at its own expense, according to the proposal reported by Times of India.
Standing committee chairperson Satya Sharma said the initiative would help MCD make better use of its existing resources while identifying new revenue opportunities. “MCD has several avenues for generating income, but their potential needs to be fully tapped through better monitoring, transparency and technology-driven management,” she said.
The proposed system would include an AI-based Visual Load Index tool. It would assess the number, visibility and placement of advertisements along roads and public spaces, allowing the civic body to identify locations and advertising corridors with higher commercial potential. The tool would also flag areas with excessive advertising and visual clutter.
MCD intends to use the survey findings to rationalise advertising sites and improve their valuation, auction and tendering. The agency would also undertake a 360-degree virtual survey of each site, recording photographs, location, dimensions, lighting details and regulatory compliance.
The resulting database would include dashboards, heat maps and analytical reports for monitoring and management. MCD would compare the newly collected information with records of registered advertising sites to identify illegal structures and facilitate action against violations. The corporation expects this process to help prevent potential revenue losses while creating a centralised record of outdoor advertising assets.
The proposal states that the project would not require financial expenditure from MCD because the selected agency would carry out the survey at its own cost. The civic body said suggestions from its law and finance departments had been incorporated into the draft memorandum of understanding, which has been submitted for approval through the standing committee.
The agreement would remain valid for 180 days. MCD would retain the right to terminate it with 15 days’ notice in case of violations, Sharma said. All data collected through the project would remain the property of MCD and could not be shared with third parties without the corporation’s written permission.
Depending on the outcome of the pilot, MCD would consider extending the mapping exercise to additional zones and eventually across its entire jurisdiction. The immediate administrative task is to secure approval and appoint the agency that will conduct the survey.
