> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://newsanek.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Ibbaluru Metro station to carry InMobi name under Rs 65 crore deal - URL: https://newsanek.com/inmobi-pays-65-crore-metro-station-naming/ - Published: 2026-11-10T10:32:08.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-10T10:50:21.000Z - Description: The station will be called InMobi Ibbaluru Metro Station, but the locality name stays the same. The deal still needs state government approval before the name can change. - Author: Kumar Ujjwal - Tags: Startups, UPSC Today, GS Paper 3, #sub-startup-stories, #sub-business-stories, #national-desk, #sm-42, #smemo-pride Bengaluru's upcoming Ibbaluru Metro station will soon carry the name InMobi. The station is on the Outer Ring Road metro corridor, and it will be called InMobi Ibbaluru Metro Station. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), the body that runs Namma Metro, signed the deal. The Rs 65 crore excludes GST. It covers the naming rights and a contribution towards the station's construction cost. InMobi is a startup valued at more than $1 billion, which is called a unicorn. Its group company Glance, a lockscreen content platform, has also reached that value on its own. That is why BMRCL's managing director PC Jaffer called InMobi India's first double unicorn. ### Key points - InMobi will pay Rs 65 crore, excluding GST, for 30 years of naming rights. - The locality name Ibbaluru stays, and BMRCL keeps ownership and control. - Two InMobi group companies have each been valued at more than $1 billion. - The deal still needs state government approval before the name changes. ## So what does the name really change? This is not a handover of the station. What BMRCL sells is called semi-naming rights. The sponsor's name goes in front of the locality name. So Ibbaluru stays Ibbaluru on the map and in announcements. BMRCL keeps ownership, operations and control for the full term. InMobi's founder and CEO Naveen Tewari said Bengaluru gave the company the confidence to build a global future. The company says the deal is its way of giving back to the city. ## How much does this deal work out to each year? Spread over 30 years, the amount works out to roughly Rs 2.2 crore a year. That is a useful way to compare it with other deals. Other stations on the same corridor have been sold in similar ways. In March 2025, Vikas Telecom, part of Embassy Office Parks REIT, agreed to pay Rs 100 crore for Kadubeesanahalli station, for 30 years. In February this year, Prestige Group signed a Rs 90 crore deal for Bellandur station. Rs 80 crore is for naming and station facilities. Rs 10 crore is for a skywalk, payable only if the developer builds it. Metro station naming deals compared Ibbaluru (InMobi)65 Kadubeesanahalli (Vikas Telecom)100 Bellandur (Prestige Group)90 Rs crore Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report ## What happens next before the name changes? One step is still pending. Station names on Namma Metro sit in the detailed project report. The Karnataka government and the Union government both approved that report. So BMRCL cannot rename a station on its own. All the corporate naming agreements it has signed so far are recorded as subject to state government approval. Startup Story ### The story so far 1. **The roots:** InMobi says it was born in Bengaluru and has grown alongside the city for 18 years. 2. **The growth:** InMobi and its group company Glance have each been valued at more than $1 billion. 3. **Now:** InMobi will pay Rs 65 crore for 30 years of naming rights to Ibbaluru metro station. ### How it makes money This is a payment from InMobi to the metro body, not income for the company. The Rs 65 crore, excluding GST, covers naming rights and a share of the station's construction cost. ### One lesson Public visibility deals can be useful, but a business should check the approvals needed before it counts on a name appearing. ### The numbers | Naming rights payment | Rs 65 crore for 30 years (Source: BMRCL agreement) | | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | | Yearly share of payment | About Rs 2.2 crore a year (Source: BMRCL agreement) | This is general information from news reports, not financial or investment advice. Exam Corner **UPSC GS Paper 3** · Economy: Infrastructure funding ### What's the news Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has agreed that InMobi will pay Rs 65 crore for 30 years of naming rights to Ibbaluru metro station in Bengaluru. The deal still needs state government approval. ### Background - Naming rights let a sponsor attach its name to a public asset, while the original locality name stays. - Station names on Namma Metro are part of the detailed project report approved by the Karnataka and Union governments. - A unicorn is a startup valued at more than $1 billion. InMobi calls itself India's first double unicorn group. ### Facts for Prelims - Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) runs Bengaluru Metro. - Ibbaluru station is on the Outer Ring Road metro corridor. - The Rs 65 crore payment excludes GST and covers naming rights plus a contribution to construction cost. ### Content for Mains 1. **Significance:** Sponsor deals can bring private money into public transport infrastructure without handing over ownership. 2. **Main issue:** Sponsor names on public spaces raise questions about how public identity and commercial interests should be balanced. 3. **Challenges:** Name changes need approval from both state and Union governments, which can slow such deals. 4. **Way forward:** Clear rules on pricing, approvals and ownership can help such deals stay transparent and fair. **Practice question:** Examine how corporate naming rights can help fund urban infrastructure, and what safeguards public agencies should put in place. ### Prelims practice questions **Q1.** Under the Ibbaluru deal, who keeps ownership and control of the station? 1. InMobi 2. Glance 3. BMRCL 4. Karnataka government alone Show answer **Answer: C.** Ownership, operations and control stay with BMRCL for the full 30-year term. **Q2.** Which bodies must approve station names under the detailed project report? 1. Only BMRCL 2. Bengaluru city council 3. Karnataka government and Union government 4. InMobi alone Show answer **Answer: C.** Station names sit in the detailed project report approved by both governments. ### Key terms - **Unicorn**: A privately owned startup whose value has reached more than $1 billion. - **Naming rights**: The right to attach a sponsor's name to a public place, usually for a fixed period and fee. - **Memorandum of understanding (MoU)**: A formal document recording what two parties have agreed to do. More stories for exam preparation: [UPSC Today](https://newsanek.com/upsc-today/) These points come from this news report. Check them with standard sources such as NCERT books and PIB before your exam. --- ### Sources - [Indian Startup News: ‘A metro station named after a startup?’: InMobi to pay Rs 65 crore for Bengaluru Metro station naming rights](https://indianstartupnews.com/news/a-metro-station-named-after-a-startup-inmobi-to-pay-rs-65-crore-for-bengaluru-metro-station-naming-rights-12798333?ref=newsanek.com)