NMC Plans Revision In Sky SignLicence Fees For LED Hoardings

Nagpur: With LED hoardings rapidly transforming the city's advertising landscape, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has proposed a revision in sky sign licence fees, aiming to boost revenue and tighten regulation of outdoor advertisements. The proposal will be placed before the standing committee on May 8.The move comes after the civic body was asked to submit a detailed report on the proportion of illuminated and non-illuminated hoardings, and the basis for fixing LED display rates. Data presented to the panel shows that Nagpur has 987 private hoardings, of which 55.62% are non-illuminated, 41.74% illuminated and 2.63% LED/neon. However, the trend is more pronounced in shop boards, where out of 3,054 installations, 54.68% are illuminated, 43.54% non-illuminated and 1.76% LED/neon — indicating a growing preference by smaller commercial establishments.Officials flagged that while traditional flex hoardings display only one advertisement, LED boards allow multiple advertisements to run in rotation within minutes, significantly increasing revenue potential for advertisers. Hence, existing licence fees are considered outdated.Under the revised proposal, the NMC plans to charge 86/sqm per month for non-illuminated hoardings, 130 for illuminated signs, 260 for gantry gate advertisements and 352/sqm for LED and neon displays — the highest among all categories.Officials said the revision is in line with provisions of Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act and 2022 rules governing regulation and control of sky signs and advertisements. Updated rates are proposed to be implemented from April 1, 2026.The administration believes the move will bring much better control and regulation over the growing number of digital hoardings, many of which operate with high-frequency ad rotations. The proposal also forms part of broader efforts to regulate illegal hoardings and streamline advertisement licensing system across the city. The standing committee's express approval is required for the revised rates to come into effect.