InMobi clinches 30-year naming rights for Ibbaluru Metro Station in ₹65 crore deal

₹65 crore buys InMobi a 30-year billboard

Bengaluru’s Ibbaluru Metro Station will soon be called InMobi Ibbaluru Metro Station. InMobi paid ₹65 crore for the naming rights, locking in the name for the next 30 years. The deal was signed with Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) and is expected to bring in steady non-fare revenue for the operator.

BMRCL Managing Director P C Jaffer said the partnership shows how corporates can help develop public transport infrastructure. InMobi Founder and CEO Naveen Tewari added that Bengaluru gave the company the “confidence to imagine and build a global future” and that the deal is part of giving back to the city.

IPO push triggers reshuffle of ownership and debt

The renaming comes as InMobi lines up an initial public offering. The company first aimed to list in 2025 at a $10 billion valuation but has not yet filed its draft red herring prospectus.

Late last year the cofounders took back 25-30 % of the company from SoftBank, slashing the Japanese investor’s stake from roughly 35 % to under 8 %. The buyback was financed with $350 million in debt from three lenders—Varde Partners, Elham Credit Partners and SeaTown Holdings.

A separate deal followed in 2026: private-equity firm True North bought a 2-3 % stake for $50-60 million. JPMorgan Chase, Jefferies, Kotak Mahindra Capital and Axis Capital have since been hired as merchant bankers for the IPO.

May acquisition sharpens app-marketing stack

In May 2026 InMobi closed its purchase of San Francisco-based MobileAction, a platform for mobile app marketing and analytics. The goal, InMobi said, was to sharpen its tools for app discovery, user acquisition and advertising optimisation.

What this means

Lazyfounder analysis — our interpretation, not reported fact.

The renaming deal is a two-way signal: it lets BMRCL offset rising costs without raising fares, and it gives InMobi a 30-year billboard at a key tech corridor just as the company gears up for an IPO.

Key takeaways

• BMRCL now earns tens of crores upfront for a single station name—cash it can use to expand or maintain the network without hiking passenger fares.
• For InMobi, the move ties its brand to Bengaluru’s daily commute for decades, strengthening local roots ahead of its public listing.
• The $350 million debt used to buy out SoftBank increases leverage at a time when IPO investors will scrutinize balance sheets closely.

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