“UP’s OOH market is entering its modernisation era”

Uttar Pradesh’s Out-of-Home (OOH) market is moving through one of its most transformation-heavy phases in recent years. With new civic projects, expanding metro corridors, rising intra-state travel, and a growing appetite for structured outdoor visibility, the state is shifting from being a “potential market” to a demonstrably performance-oriented one. 

Within this dynamic, multi-layered landscape, Amit Agrawal, Managing Director of R D Outdoor Media Pvt Ltd, offers a compelling and carefully articulated perspective on how UP’s OOH ecosystem is reshaping itself—and what truly defines its growth curve today. 

A market in firm modernisation mode 

Amit describes the current momentum with confident clarity. “The state is now firmly in its modernisation phase,” he says, emphasising that the shift is not abstract but visible across infrastructure, civic planning, and advertiser behaviour. He calls UP’s present landscape “a clear growth-and-modernization phase, underpinned by stronger urban infrastructure and rising intra-state travel and tourism.” 

What makes his assessment particularly telling is how he contrasts maturity levels across cities: “While some cities are maturing rapidly, others still need better inventory and planning systems.” His view captures the duality—swift progress in pockets and gradual evolution elsewhere—that defines UP’s transition. 

Cities driving the new OOH playbook 

Amit offers a vivid map of where advertiser demand is intensifying—and why. 

“Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad continue to attract strong ad spend owing to rapid urbanization and expanding corporate hubs,” he notes. He points out that Prayagraj’s rise post-Maha Kumbh 2025 has been particularly dramatic, making it a crucial OOH destination. 

Meanwhile, Lucknow’s expanding metro network, improving civic infrastructure, and administrative significance have turned it into a “hotspot for transit advertising.” Tourism-driven cities like Agra and Varanasi, he adds, naturally sustain high outdoor visibility, while Kanpur remains vital for industrial and educational outreach. 

This multi-city spread, he explains, is what currently anchors the breadth of UP’s advertising potential. 

Growth trends: Consistent, data-led, and infrastructure-driven 

According to Amit, the last two years have been marked by disciplined growth patterns rather than sporadic spikes. “Uttar Pradesh’s OOH market has closely mirrored the national trajectory of consistent year-on-year revenue growth, with double-digit upticks through 2024–25,” he shares. 

He attributes this to a combination of factors—premium large formats, upgraded transit infrastructure, and the initial wave of DOOH conversions. Crucially, he highlights a powerful new shift: “The rise of programmatic and data-led buying in metro markets is now filtering into UP.” 

His observation underscores a quietly accelerating evolution—where traditional OOH is being strengthened, not replaced, by data intelligence. 

Formats shaping advertiser preference 

For Amit, the backbone of UP’s outdoor ecosystem remains unmistakably clear. “Large-format billboards and building-façade branding remain the backbone for brand reach,” he asserts. These formats, long-favoured for sheer scale and visibility, continue to deliver high-impact communication. 

But he is equally attentive to emerging patterns: “Transit media -metro, bus terminals, ropeways, and airports – are growing fast, while DOOH is the fastest-growing category in percentage terms.” 

His breakdown reveals a balanced landscape—where traditional formats dominate volume, but digital-enabled formats are contributing disproportionately to innovation and growth velocity. 

Looking ahead: From potential to performance 

Amit’s perspective positions Uttar Pradesh as a market moving deliberately and decisively toward a more structured future. With cities upgrading civic infrastructure, advertisers pushing for wider regional presence, and data-driven planning slowly taking root, he believes the next phase of OOH in UP will be defined by smarter inventory, stronger formats, and more reliable measurement frameworks. 

His assessment is both realistic and optimistic – recognizing the unevenness in development, yet firmly framing UP as a state whose OOH trajectory is rising, measurable, and meaningfully modern.