OOH can be integral to smart city development: PHDCCI conference

OOH advertising as an enabler of smart city development came to be discussed at a conference entitled ‘Smart Cities in India – Journey So Far’, organised by the nodal business chamber PHDCCI in New Delhi on August 24. Reflecting on the OOH industry’s linkage with the smart city development projects, Indrajit Sen of Indian Outdoor Advertising Association (IOAA) said at the conference that the PPP projects that are being tendered out under the Smart City Mission, especially for the development of public conveniences and the like, would be avenues for deeper association of the OOH firms.

Sen pointed out that there is need for more clarity on the norms governing the implementation of such PPP projects, as in some cases there is seemingly some confusion with regard to the jurisdiction of bodies, as also some of the norms enforced by the municipal bodies may need to be revised in keeping with the smart city goals. 

He elaborated that public infrastructure apart, OOH industry could also play an active part in creating interacting digital screens in the smart cities. The communication network, transport network and all services can have an OOH dimension.