WhatsAppVehicle wraps · Mumbai
Vehicle Wraps & Fleet Branding
in Mumbai
Full and partial vehicle wraps and fleet graphics printed on 3M and Avery Dennison cast vinyl at IBS’s facility in Mumbai and applied in the city. In Maharashtra, advertising on a transport vehicle needs Regional Transport Authority permission under rule 134, valid for up to one year, and in Mumbai BMC and the traffic police regulate advertising on moving and parked vehicles.
1 yearLongest RTA advertising permission
70%Minimum light through windscreen
10 x 20 ftLargest board on a parked ad vehicle
What does a vehicle wrap in Mumbai involve?
Two sets of rules and a clean application. Transport vehicles, meaning goods carriages, buses, taxis and autos, need Regional Transport Authority permission to carry advertising, and BMC’s policy requires a traffic police NOC for advertising on moving vehicles. Every wrap keeps the glass, number plates, lamps and reflectors clear. IBS prints on cast vinyl and quotes each vehicle separately.
What is a transport vehicle?
In the Motor Vehicles Act, a public service vehicle, a goods carriage, an educational institution bus or a private service vehicle. Taxis, autos, buses, delivery vans and trucks are transport vehicles; a private car is not. Rule 134’s advertising permission in Maharashtra applies only to transport vehicles.
What is a private service vehicle?
A passenger vehicle, such as a staff bus, that a business uses to carry people in connection with its own trade and not for hire. Rule 134 exempts these from RTA advertising permission when they display the owner’s own products or services.
What is a cast vinyl wrap?
A printed cast vinyl film, protected by a laminate, applied over a vehicle’s paint. Cast film is thin and stable, so it follows curves, recesses and rivets without shrinking back, and removes cleanly at the end of its life. A full wrap covers the body; a partial wrap covers selected panels.
Maharashtra rules
When a vehicle wrap needs RTA permission
From the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, read in the consolidated text published by Mumbai Traffic Police. The rule is about advertising on transport vehicles; it does not set wrap sizes or positions, which are left to transport authority guidelines.
Rule 134
- No advertising on a transport vehicle except as the Regional Transport Authority permits
- The permit holder applies in Form PDAA, with the fee and the permit
- Permission issued in Form PDA, valid one year or to the permit’s expiry, whichever is earlier
- Displayed in line with State or Regional Transport Authority guidelines
- Application fee ₹200 for goods carriages and buses, ₹60 for autorickshaws (rule 134A, as amended 30 July 1999)
Who it covers
- Goods carriages, buses, taxis and autos: permission needed
- Private service vehicles showing the owner’s own products or services: exempt
- Private cars are not transport vehicles, so rule 134 does not reach them
- Read literally, a company’s own delivery van is a goods carriage, so its livery needs permission unless the RTA exempts that class
Taxis, autos and colour schemes
- Black-and-yellow taxi colours are fixed by rule 135, so no colour-change wrap
- App-based taxis under the City Taxi Rules, 2016 carry advertising only as the licensing authority’s guidelines allow
- No vehicle may use a colour scheme usually used by police or military vehicles (rule 168)
- Transport vehicle owners report alterations to the permit authority too (rule 114)
BMC rules
What BMC’s 2025 policy says about vehicle advertising
BMC’s Policy Guidelines for Display of Outdoor Advertisements 2025 cover advertising on vehicles in Brihanmumbai, alongside the RTA’s rules. Its list of displays that need no permission includes no vehicle exemption.
Moving vehicles (clause 4.2(vii))
- Stickers on side or rear panels, and glow or digital boards on the roof, as specified in a Mumbai Police traffic branch NOC
- Private agencies pay BMC’s scheduled fee with BMC’s prior permission
- BEST bus panels: 20% of contract value or the fee, whichever is higher
- The policy does not say whether a company’s own livery counts as advertising, so do not assume it is exempt
Parked advertising vehicles (clause 4.2(vi))
- Only inside private premises, never on a footpath, carriageway or road
- Traffic branch and RTO NOCs
- Boards up to 10 ft high and 20 ft wide, lit or unlit, panel or backlit
- 70 m from other hoardings, and vehicles kept in good operational condition
Safety rules
What a wrap must never cover
These rules apply to every vehicle, private or commercial, and they decide where the wrap template stops.
Glass
- Windscreen and rear window at least 70% light transmission, side windows 50% (CMVR rule 100)
- Supreme Court, 2012: no film or any other material on safety glass
- So IBS puts no graphics or perforated film on any vehicle window
- Glass films are also barred on taxis under the City Taxi Rules, 2016
Plates, lamps and marks
- Number plates, lamps and reflectors left uncovered (Maharashtra rule 236)
- Transport vehicles keep the registration mark painted on both sides (CMVR rule 50)
- Trucks and buses keep AIS-090 reflective tape and contour marking visible (CMVR rule 104)
- Panels trimmed around the painted registration marks, which stay visible
Colour and the RC
- The RC records the vehicle’s colour (Form 23)
- Alterations are notified under section 52 of the Motor Vehicles Act; Maharashtra’s form is Form B.T.I.
- No rule says whether a colour-change wrap needs the RC endorsed, so ask your RTO before a full colour change
- Branded graphics over the original colour are the common, simpler case
Specification
How IBS wraps vehicles for Mumbai
Wraps are printed and laminated in-house at IBS’s facility in Mumbai and applied by IBS crews, so the template, the print and the fit are one team’s responsibility.
Film and print
- 3M and Avery Dennison cast vinyl, not calendered film
- UV-stable laminate against Mumbai sun and road grime
- Eco-solvent, latex and UV-class inks, printed in-house
- Cut-vinyl lettering, fleet numbers and statutory details
Application
- Surfaces prepared before any film goes down
- Film worked into recesses and around rivets, not bridged over them
- Panels trimmed clear of lamps, plates, glass and reflective tape
- Application planned around the monsoon, normally 11 June to 8 October
Fleet rollouts
- One approved template per vehicle model
- Colour held to one physical swatch across the fleet
- Vehicle list kept by registration number for the fleet record
- As-applied photographs of every vehicle
What IBS’s Mumbai base changes for you
- Fabrication at the IBS facility in Mumbai, furniture and joinery at the factory near Vasai East; head office in Goregaon West
- Site survey, fabrication and installation by the same team, without a courier leg
- Service calls in the Mumbai-Pune corridor typically answered within 24 to 48 hours
- A line-item BOQ within five to seven working days of the brief
Commercials
How a Mumbai vehicle wrap is priced and checked
There is no reliable published rate for a fitted wrap in Mumbai: online listings mostly price the film roll. These are the lines that make two wrap quotations comparable.
How the price is built
- Per vehicle, by model and coverage: full wrap, partial wrap or graphics
- Film and laminate named, cast rather than calendered
- Design and template work shown once per model, not per vehicle
- RTA and BMC fees paid by the permit holder and shown separately
What to check in any quotation
- Is the film cast or calendered, and is the laminate included?
- Does the design keep glass, plates, lamps and reflective tape clear?
- Who applies it, and where: a clean indoor bay or the roadside?
- Is removal at the end of the wrap’s life priced?
At handover
- Artwork and template records kept per vehicle model
- Artwork, template and colour records kept for reprints
- Damaged panels reprinted to the same template and swatch
- A named IBS contact for the fleet
Approved vendor status
- IBS is an approved vendor at Adani Airports, HDFC ERGO, Reliance Retail, Godrej Finance, EPSON, Duravit and HSBC
- Company-level BCAS security clearance for airport projects; site access arranged per assignment
Wrapping vehicles in Mumbai?
Send the vehicle list with models and registration numbers, and the artwork. You get templates that keep glass, plates and reflectors clear, the RTA and BMC steps that apply, and a quotation.
Get a vehicle wrap quoteWhich Mumbai rules apply to which vehicle
Summarised from the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 and BMC’s 2025 advertisement policy. Where the rules do not settle a point, the table says so rather than guessing.
| RTA permission (rule 134) | BMC and traffic police | Colour-change wrap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private car | Not a transport vehicle | Traffic branch NOC for advertising on a moving vehicle | Ask your RTO about the RC first |
| Company delivery van or truck | Needed, unless the RTA exempts the class | Traffic branch NOC; a BMC fee may apply, since the policy does not say whether own livery counts | Ask your RTO; keep registration marks and reflective tape clear |
| Staff bus (private service vehicle) | Exempt when showing the owner’s own products or services | Traffic branch NOC for advertising | Ask your RTO about the RC first |
| Black-and-yellow taxi | Needed | Traffic branch NOC | Not allowed: colours fixed by rule 135 |
| Auto rickshaw | Needed; application fee ₹60 | Traffic branch NOC | Ask your RTO about the RC first |
| Parked advertising vehicle | Needed if it is a transport vehicle | Private premises only; RTO and traffic NOCs; board up to 10 x 20 ft | Not the point: the board carries the advertising |
Market Context
What the published data says
- No advertising on a transport vehicle except as the Regional Transport Authority permits; permission in Form PDA is valid for one year or to the permit’s expiry, whichever is earlier. Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, rules 134 and 134A (consolidated text, Mumbai Traffic Police, uploaded 1 August 2023)
- Advertising on moving vehicles needs a Mumbai Police traffic branch NOC; parked advertising vehicles are allowed only in private premises, with boards up to 10 ft by 20 ft. BMC, Policy Guidelines for Display of Outdoor Advertisements 2025, 27 November 2025, clauses 4.2(vi) and 4.2(vii)
- Safety glass must pass at least 70% of light through the windscreen and rear window and 50% through side windows. Central Motor Vehicles Rules, rule 100, substituted by G.S.R. 457(E), 20 July 2020, in force 1 April 2021 (Gazette copy)
- Black film of any VLT percentage or any other material may not be pasted on vehicle safety glass. Supreme Court of India, Avishek Goenka v. Union of India, W.P.(C) 265 of 2011, order of 3 August 2012 quoting para 27 of the judgment of 27 April 2012
- Transport vehicles carry the registration mark painted on both sides; trucks and buses carry AIS-090 reflective tape; the RC records the vehicle’s colour. Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, rules 50 and 104 and Form 23 (consolidated 2013)
Questions Buyers Ask
Frequently asked questions
Is car wrap legal in India?
Yes, if it follows the Motor Vehicles Rules. Keep the glass clear, because the Supreme Court barred pasting film or any other material on safety glass in 2012. Leave number plates, lamps, reflectors and registration marks uncovered, avoid police or military colour schemes, and ask your RTO before a full colour change, since the RC records the vehicle’s colour.
How much does it cost to wrap a car in Mumbai?
There is no reliable published rate. Online listings in Mumbai mostly price the film roll or material per square foot, not a fitted wrap. The cost depends on the vehicle’s size, full or partial coverage, the cast film and laminate, and the number of vehicles. IBS quotes each job after seeing the vehicle list and artwork.
Do I need RTO permission to put my logo on my delivery van in Mumbai?
Probably, yes. Rule 134 of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules bars advertising on any transport vehicle except as the Regional Transport Authority permits, and a delivery van is a goods carriage. Its exemption covers only private service vehicles showing the owner’s own products or services. Confirm with the RTA for your vehicle class.
How long is an RTA advertising permission valid in Maharashtra?
One year, or until the vehicle’s permit expires, whichever is earlier. Under rule 134, the permit holder applies to the Secretary of the Regional Transport Authority in Form PDAA with the fee and the permit, and the permission is issued in Form PDA. It is renewed the same way.
What is the RTA fee for advertising on a vehicle in Maharashtra?
Rule 134A of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules, as amended on 30 July 1999, sets the application fee at ₹200 for goods carriages and buses and ₹60 for autorickshaws. The fee for motor cabs is printed unclearly in the consolidated text we read, so confirm it with the RTA.
Do I have to update my RC after a colour-change wrap?
No rule settles it. The RC records the vehicle’s colour, and section 52 of the Motor Vehicles Act requires alterations to be notified; Maharashtra’s form is Form B.T.I. Whether a removable wrap counts has not been decided in any rule or judgment we found, so ask your RTO before a full colour change.
Can a wrap go on the windows or rear glass?
No. CMVR rule 100 requires at least 70% light transmission through the windscreen and rear window and 50% through side windows, and in 2012 the Supreme Court barred pasting film or any other material on vehicle safety glass. IBS therefore keeps every window clear, including of perforated one-way vision film.
Can a wrap cover the number plate or registration number?
No. Maharashtra rule 236 bars masking any lamp or registration mark, and CMVR rule 50 requires transport vehicles to carry the registration mark painted on both sides of the body as well as on the plates. IBS trims the wrap clear of the plates and keeps or reapplies the side marks.
Will a wrap cover my truck’s reflective tape?
It must not. CMVR rule 104 requires trucks and buses to carry reflective tape and, on heavy goods vehicles, reflective contour marking to AIS-090. A wrap template for a truck or bus is drawn around that tape, so the vehicle stays compliant and visible at night.
Can I run a mobile hoarding van in Mumbai?
Only parked inside private premises. BMC’s 2025 policy does not allow advertising vehicles to park on footpaths, carriageways or roads, and requires traffic branch and RTO NOCs, boards no larger than 10 ft by 20 ft, and 70 m spacing from other hoardings. Moving vehicles carrying advertising need a traffic branch NOC.
Can I advertise on a black-and-yellow taxi or an auto in Mumbai?
With RTA permission, yes, under rule 134. But black-and-yellow taxis must keep their statutory colours under rule 135, so they cannot take a colour-change wrap, and the RTA’s guidelines decide where advertising can go. BMC’s policy also expects a traffic branch NOC for advertising on moving vehicles.
Can app-based taxis in Mumbai carry advertising?
Only as the licensing authority’s guidelines allow. The Maharashtra City Taxi Rules, 2016 permit advertising on app-based taxis in accordance with those guidelines, and bar films on taxi glass. Newer aggregator rules were only in draft when this page was checked, so check the current position before designing.
Can I wrap my vehicle in police-style colours?
No. Rule 168 of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules says no vehicle other than a military or police vehicle may be used in a public place unless it is painted in a colour scheme different from the one usually used for military and police vehicles. Designs should keep clear of those schemes.
What vinyl does IBS use for vehicle wraps?
3M and Avery Dennison cast vinyl with a UV-stable laminate. Cast film follows curves, recesses and rivets without shrinking back and removes cleanly at the end of its life; calendered film is cheaper but tends to lift on curves. The film and laminate are named on the quotation.
How long does a vehicle wrap last in Mumbai?
The film, laminate and care decide it more than the city does. Mumbai adds strong sun, monsoon rain and road grime, which shorten the life of calendered film and unlaminated prints. Cast film with a UV-stable laminate, washed without harsh chemicals or pressure jets on the edges, holds colour and stays down longest.
Does IBS wrap whole fleets in Mumbai?
Yes. For a fleet, IBS draws one template per vehicle model, holds colour to one physical swatch, and keeps the artwork and templates, so a damaged panel on any vehicle can be reprinted to match. Service calls within the Mumbai-Pune corridor are typically answered within 24 to 48 hours.
What does IBS need to quote a vehicle wrap?
The vehicle list with makes, models and registration numbers, whether each is a private or transport vehicle, full or partial coverage, and the artwork. From that IBS draws the templates, notes the RTA and BMC steps that may apply and returns a quotation with the film and laminate named.
Can a wrapped vehicle go through a car wash?
Hand washing is safer. Rotating brushes and high-pressure jets aimed at film edges can lift the wrap, especially around seams, handles and lamps. A gentle wash with mild detergent, rinsing with the jet held back from the edges, keeps a cast vinyl wrap with a laminate looking right for longer. Fleet drivers should be told this at handover.
Which is better for a fleet: a wrap or paint protection film?
They do different jobs. Paint protection film is a clear film that guards the paint against chips and scratches but does not change the look. A wrap is printed or coloured cast vinyl that carries the brand. For fleet branding, a wrap or partial wrap is the tool; protection film is a separate choice for the paint underneath.