Lucknow–Delhi Tejas Express to Operate as ‘Sprite’ Tejas Express

The Lucknow–New Delhi Tejas Express is set to undergo a corporate branding transformation from 19 August 2026, following the award of advertising and exterior-wrapping rights to Sprite, a brand of The Coca-Cola Company. Reports indicate that the branding arrangement will enable the train to be referred to as the ‘Sprite Tejas Express’ during the agreement period.

The initiative represents an expansion of commercial advertising and non-fare revenue opportunities in the railway sector. By permitting corporate branding on a premium train service, the arrangement can provide an additional revenue stream while allowing advertisers to utilise the high-visibility passenger and station network associated with the service.

Under the reported arrangement, the train’s exterior will carry Sprite branding, creating a prominent advertising platform along the Lucknow–Delhi corridor. Sprite is an established Coca-Cola brand with an active presence in India.

From a governance and public-sector management perspective, such initiatives highlight the broader effort to monetise railway assets and passenger-facing infrastructure without altering the core public transport function of the service. The branding is primarily commercial in nature and does not imply a transfer of ownership or operational control of the train to the private advertiser.