I&B Ministry
Space TV: I&B readies note for Reddy’s approval
MUMBAI: Finally in sight, it seems, at least for Space TV, the Tata Sons and Star group, 80:20 joint venture for a DTH service in India.
According to sources close to the government and DTH developments, the information and broadcasting ministry has prepared a note for the approval of minister Jaipal Reddy.
Reddy’s ok would pave the way for issuance of a letter of intent (LoI) to Space TV. The ministerial approval is expected to come through in 10 days or so, barring unforeseen hitches.
However, even after the letter of intent is issued, it would be a while before the final letter of approval and an actual DTH license is handed to Space TV. The sources say that the last set of clarifications, sought by the government, came in from Space TV yesterday.
This is likely to end a long wait for Space TV, and Star in particular, which has been in quest of a DTH licence since 2002. In between, the application of Space had to be made afresh in 2003 as the government felt that in the earlier version of Space TV, the Indian partnership was more of a dummy.
The government had announced a set of DTH guidelines towards the end of 2001 by which time quite a few interested players had already got frustrated and abandoned their plans to make forays into the DTH segment.
This included the Malaysia-based Measat, which had a memorandum of understanding with Doordarshan for a DTH venture in the mid-1990s.
In January 2004, Tata Sons announced the formation of a joint venture with the Star Group for launching a DTH television platform in India.
The announcement had stated that the Tata Group and Star Group looked forward to building India’s largest digital television platform and offering a range of channels including exclusive channels, with interactive features and services.
The project cost is estimated to be Rs 16 billion ($1= Rs 43.75).
Information collated by indiantelevision.com indicates that the I&B ministry had raised a series of objections on the Space TV application even after the Tatas joined hands with the Rupert Murdoch-controlled Star for a JV.
One of the many issues raised by the I&B ministry was that in the Space TV project, cleared by other ministires, including finance and home, the shareholders’ agreement was in favour of Star, which amounted to foreign control.
A government official told indiantelevision.com late this evening that Space TV has written to them saying that “changes have been made” in the company set-up in the line with the I&B ministry’s suggestions.
“Before a final clearance is given, it needs to be seen whether Space TV has actually carried out those changes in letter and spirit of the guidelines,” the official added.
The Space TV case became so controversial that 37-odd questions on the company has been asked to the present government by Members of Parliament on the floor of the House, while recently about nine MPs had written to the PMO on the issue.
I&B Ministry
Government sets up AI governance group to steer policy
AIGEG to align ministries, assess jobs impact, guide AI deployment.
MUMBAI: If artificial intelligence is the engine, the government is now building the dashboard and making sure everyone reads from the same screen. The Centre has constituted a new inter-ministerial body to coordinate India’s approach to AI, formalising a key recommendation from its governance framework and the Economic Survey. The AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG), set up by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, will act as the central platform to align AI-related policy across ministries, regulators and departments, an attempt to bring coherence to what has so far been a fragmented and fast-evolving landscape.
The group will be chaired by union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, with minister of state Jitin Prasada as vice chairperson. Its composition reflects both technological and economic priorities, bringing together the principal scientific adviser, the chief economic adviser, and the CEO of NITI Aayog, alongside key secretaries from telecommunications, economic affairs and science and technology. A representative from the National Security Council Secretariat is also part of the group, while the MeitY secretary will serve as member convenor.
At its core, AIGEG is designed to do two things: coordinate and anticipate. On the policy front, it will review existing regulatory mechanisms, issue guidance across sectors and ensure companies remain compliant with evolving legal frameworks. Beyond that, it will oversee national initiatives on AI governance, with a focus on enabling responsible innovation rather than merely regulating it.
The economic dimension is equally central. The group has been tasked with assessing how AI-driven automation could reshape jobs identifying which roles are most at risk, where those impacts may be geographically concentrated, and whether technology will augment or replace human labour. Based on these assessments, it will develop mitigation strategies and transition plans, signalling a more proactive stance on workforce disruption.
In parallel, AIGEG will work with industry stakeholders to chart a long-term roadmap for AI adoption, categorising use cases into “deploy”, “pilot” or “defer” buckets depending on readiness factors such as data availability, skill levels and regulatory clarity. The aim is to move from broad ambition to structured execution deciding not just what can be built, but what should be built now.
The group will function as the apex layer in India’s AI governance architecture, supported by a Technology and Policy Expert Committee that will track global developments, emerging risks and regulatory priorities. Together, the two bodies are expected to shape both the pace and direction of AI adoption in the country.
In a landscape where technology often outruns policy, the creation of AIGEG signals an attempt to close that gap ensuring that India’s AI journey is not just rapid, but also coordinated, accountable and economically grounded.
