By Mohammad Owais
Mumbai | November 28, 2025
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has introduced new restrictions on digital outdoor advertising, announcing that digital billboards in Mumbai cannot be more than three times brighter than their surrounding environment. The rule is part of the Policy Guidelines for Display of Outdoor Advertising 2025, aimed at reducing glare and minimising distractions for road users.
The luminance limit — capped at a 3:1 ratio — applies to all digital billboards placed outdoors. However, LED screens will continue to be permitted inside controlled environments such as malls, multiplexes, commercial complexes and petrol pumps.
A Comprehensive Update After 17 Years
The new policy replaces the earlier 2008 guidelines and all subsequent circulars issued since then. The preface, signed by the municipal commissioner, states that the updated framework addresses both traditional and modern forms of advertising.
The policy covers:
- Hoardings
- Glow signs
- Bus queue shelters
- Festival-season advertising
- Construction-site advertisements
- Digital screens in malls, shopping centres, commercial institutes, and banks
- Temporary permissions for banners and boards
“Due attention has also been paid to relatively new concepts such as digital advertising on malls, big shopping centres, national and international banks, commercial institutes, etc,” the document notes.
Advertisements Allowed on Barricades and Under-Construction Buildings
BMC has also approved advertising on barricades and the outer surfaces of buildings that are under construction or repair. The licensing department will continue to oversee permissions and will take action against unauthorised hoardings under Sections 328 and 328A of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888.
The complete guidelines were uploaded to the BMC website and made public on November 27, 2025.
Policy Driven by Safety Concerns After 2024 Ghatkopar Billboard Collapse
The update comes in response to recommendations from a committee headed by former Justice Dilip Bhosale, along with public feedback collected over the past months.
Momentum to overhaul Mumbai’s advertising rules increased significantly after the Ghatkopar billboard collapse in May 2024, which killed 17 people and injured more than 70. The incident triggered widespread criticism of the city’s monitoring systems and led to a push for safer installation standards.
A Step Toward Safer and More Regulated Outdoor Advertising
The 2025 guidelines are designed to bring Mumbai’s outdoor advertising practices in line with modern safety norms, especially as the city experiences rapid growth in digital screens and LED advertising.
By enforcing a strict brightness cap and tightening permissions, the BMC aims to reduce visual pollution and ensure safer road conditions while still allowing businesses to advertise within regulated limits.
