How IIT Delhi Fought And Won To Protect Itself From 'Co-branding' At Delhi Metro

The IIT brand in itself is enough to garner attention to anything remotely related to technical education and especially engineering studies. Moreover, the IIT name signifies inspiration and opportunity for the Indian middle class, who have seen the institutions grow as pillars of strength for technical education in India.

In this context when the naming rights of a metro station in South Delhi near the IIT campus were acquired by coaching institute chain FIIT JEE, the actual IIT stood up and felt that there was a need to make a clear distinction between the two.

The Delhi Metro and Rail Corporation (DMRC) in a bid to explore possible avenues for increasing revenues, started a practice to allow its metro station names to be prefixed with brand and company names. The marketing practice is known as "co-branding". For example, Vishwavidyala becomes Honda 2 Wheelers Vishvavidyalaya and Green Park becomes Indian Oil Green Park.

Similarly, a deal was struck to name IIT Delhi metro station as "FIITJEE IIT", after the coaching institute acquired naming rights of the station from an outdoor advertising agency, Pioneer Outdoor Advertising.

However, this did not go well with the administration at the prestigious engineering college.

Worried that the co-branding exercise of the Delhi metro and the coaching institute may create misleading impressions on prospective students and general public, the IIT geared up to counter the perceptive challenge.

The college approached the Delhi High Court which ordered that disclaimers be put up to clearly establish that IIT has no association with FIITJEE.

On the High court order, FIITJEE put up a disclaimer at the station, saying that it was in “no way connected with any IIT”, according to a report in Economic Times. 

However, this remedy seemed inadequate to the college authorities who further followed the matter and were unsatisfied with the efforts of FIITJEE and Delhi Metro.

According to a report in the Indian Express, the High Court had also reprimanded the DMRC for going ahead with such form of advertisement which can be deceptive. The DMRC, however, had steered clear of taking any responsibility saying the semi-naming rights are given through an open e-tendering process and whoever is awarded the rights accordingly manages the selection of brands on its own.

As the tussle intensified, Pioneer Outdoor Advertising which had entered into the agreement with FIITJEE for the IIT Delhi metro station for a 10 year period, scrapped the contract with  FIITJEE altogether.

DMRC officials said work is underway to remove the FIITJEE brand name from all entry and exit points to the station, according to the report.

“The co-branding arrangement with FIITJEE for IIT Metro station was scrapped by Pioneer Advertising over some issues, and rights have now been given to the Bureau of Indian Standards. Delhi Metro’s contract is with Pioneer Advertising and we have no direct involvement in this change,” said DMRC executive director (corporate communications) Anuj Dayal according to the Indian Express report.

A DMRC official said the new co-branding contract has gone to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).