I&B Ministry
DTH guidelines next week: Swaraj
Come next week and the government guidelines on direct-to-home services should be out if information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj is true to her word.
Swaraj told reporters in New Delhi that the DTH guidelines had been sent back to the I&B ministry after being vetted by the law ministry, according to the Press Trust of India.
It was on 13 January that one of the major regulatory hurdles in the way of the launch of DTH services was lifted. A notification was issued which formally lifted the four-year-old ban on the establishment, maintenance, possession or dealing of equipment capable of receiving Ku band television broadcast signals.
The notification, effective immediately, amending the Radio, Television and Video Cassette Recorder Sets (Exemption from Licensing Requirements) Rules, 1997 removing prohibition for use of such apparatus in the frequency bands 4,800 MHz and above.
What the industry will be closely watching is whether there will a modification in the 20 per cent sectoral and foreign equity cap on DTH operations that the government is demanding. Swaraj has repeatedly said there will be no change in the guidelines issued in November 2000 despite strong lobbying from the industry for its increase.
I&B Ministry
MIB mulls sharp cut in Rs 20 crore net-worth rule for TV rating agencies
Ministry reviews norm to widen competition in ratings
NEW DELHI: The ministry of information and broadcasting is reconsidering a key eligibility norm for television rating agencies, with officials weighing a sharp cut in the minimum net-worth requirement to broaden participation in the audience-measurement market, Storyboard18 reports.
Under the draft policy guidelines issued by the ministry, companies seeking registration as television rating agencies must have a minimum net worth of Rs 20 crore, certified by a statutory auditor. The draft also sets out rules on corporate structure, board composition and cross-holding restrictions.
Officials are now examining whether the threshold should be lowered to around Rs 5–10 crore, following representations from multiple stakeholders who argue that the current bar stifles competition and innovation.
The Rs 20-crore requirement was designed to ensure financial resilience in a sector that directly influences advertising revenues, said a senior industry executive. But advances in data analytics and measurement technologies have significantly reduced the capital intensity of audience tracking, the executive added.
Supporters of the proposed recalibration say the existing benchmark has effectively shut out credible start-ups and research-driven firms. A lower threshold, they argue, would allow technology-led players to challenge legacy models and diversify the ratings ecosystem.
Executives at digital measurement firms also say the move would better reflect the convergence of television and digital viewing. Audience measurement today is increasingly software-driven rather than infrastructure-heavy, one executive said, making high capital thresholds less relevant.
Others, however, warn against weakening financial safeguards in a market that shapes advertising spends running into tens of thousands of crores. Sustaining nationwide panels, audit systems and compliance mechanisms over a ten-year registration cycle requires deep pockets, said a senior broadcaster executive.
Another industry veteran noted that net-worth norms operate alongside bank guarantees and stringent compliance obligations. Any reduction, they said, must be carefully calibrated to avoid undermining the credibility of ratings.
The review comes amid a broader overhaul of the ratings framework. Draft amendments released by the ministry have removed several long-standing restrictions, opening the door for new entrants, including OTT platforms, distribution platform operators and big technology firms, to set up ratings agencies.
The changes are expected to intensify competition and challenge the dominance of the Broadcast Audience Research Council, while placing greater emphasis on digital and cross-platform measurement as viewing habits shift.
Minister of state for information and broadcasting L Murugan has said the ministry issued a revised draft in November 2025 after receiving feedback on the first version released in July. The amendments, he said, aim to modernise India’s TRP system, improve accuracy and representation, and reflect consumption across linear television, digital platforms and connected devices.
Media planners and broadcasters have broadly welcomed the intent of the reforms, though many caution that translating the policy into a credible, multi-platform measurement system will require substantial operational investment.
