Designing for safety and revenue: Mayank Gupta on the role of structural aesthetics in OOH Signage

At the third edition of South India Talks OOH, Mayank Gupta, Founder and CEO of Vertex Lightco Industries, made a compelling case for reimagining outdoor advertising structures not just as ad platforms, but as critical elements of urban design, safety, and profitability. In his session, The Role of Structural Aesthetics in OOH Signage, Mayank blended wit with urgency, laying out a roadmap for media owners to rethink the way they build and maintain their assets.

Good design = Good business

Mayank opened by making a direct connection between structurally sound, aesthetically designed media and increased revenue. “Let’s be honest,” he said, “those billboards aren’t going to pay their own license fees and electricity bills.” He dismantled the common myth that placing a billboard at a prime location is enough. Today’s brands, he argued, want more “Instagram-worthy, architecturally marvellous, and legally safe” platforms.

He compared hosting a luxury ad on an ugly billboard to staging the Oscars in a broken-down auditorium. “Technically possible, but no one’s proud of it.”

By investing in standardized, modular, factory-made designs, Mayank said, media owners can not only command premium rates but also cut down operational costs and increase uptime. He shared examples from Tier 2 and 3 cities like Agra and Mathura, where rates for certain ad units quadrupled within six months due to improved structural design.

The real risk isn’t the wind, it’s negligence

From aesthetics, Mayank shifted to risk—a topic he delivered with humor and gravity. “Who needs skydiving when you can go on a billboard in India and experience the adrenaline of regulatory compliance and civil lawsuits?”

He laid out five major risks OOH businesses face:

1. Regulatory risk – ever-changing rules.
2. Structural risk – poor design leading to accidents.
3. Financial risk – high operating costs with low ROI.
4. Digital risk – software and hardware failures.
5. Legal liability – criminal and civil exposure.

Mayank emphasized the legal vulnerability of media owners who rely on unqualified fabricators. “If something goes wrong, it’s not the vendor on trial. It’s you.”

He introduced the concept of the corporate veil, a legal structure that helps protect business owners from personal liability, and stressed the importance of hiring certified structural engineers and safety auditors, getting contracts in place, maintaining inspection logs, and acting quickly on complaints or warnings.

Factories over footpaths

Underscoring the benefits of controlled environments, Mayank urged media owners to push for factory-produced structures. These, he said, ensure quality, safety, and consistency, something impossible to achieve with makeshift, on-site fabrication. “Processes should be designed so quality is assured, not dependent on a workman’s skill on a hot afternoon.”

Civic responsibility beyond the billboard

Mayank closed on a powerful note: media owners aren’t just selling ad space they’re shaping city skylines. “Our hoardings are not just ads. They’re symbols of progress. Let’s not just build for profit. Let’s build for pride, beauty, and safety.”

He called on the industry to embrace its civic role ensuring public safety, contributing to city beautification, and holding itself to higher standards. “Every time we erect a structure, it should reflect our respect for the people walking beneath it.”

Working with government to raise the bar

In the Q&A, Mayank shared how Vertex has been engaging with municipalities across North India to push for better standards in public media structures. He acknowledged that recent tragedies have helped accelerate much-needed policy changes and confirmed that several urban local bodies have now started specifying structural and aesthetic requirements in their tenders.

“Quality shouldn’t be a privilege for those who can pay more. It should be the standard across India,” he concluded.