I&B Ministry
Doordarshan, ICCR sign MoU to boost global reach of Indian culture
Pact taps TV, radio and digital platforms to take cultural content worldwide
NEW DELHI: In a move aimed at taking India’s cultural story further across borders, Doordarshan under Prasar Bharati has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations to expand the global reach of Indian cultural content.
The agreement, signed on April 7 at Doordarshan Bhawan, brings together the content strength of ICCR and the wide broadcast network of Doordarshan, spanning television, radio and digital platforms.
Under the partnership, ICCR will provide a steady stream of cultural programming, including performances and events organised by Indian missions abroad such as embassies, consulates and cultural centres. Doordarshan will handle production, coverage and distribution, ensuring that these programmes find audiences not just in India but across the world.
The collaboration also opens the door for recorded cultural content from overseas missions to be aired across multiple platforms, including OTT and social media, making Indian art, music and heritage more accessible to global viewers.
A notable feature of the MoU is joint ownership of content rights in perpetuity, including digital rights. This allows both organisations to archive and reuse material over time, building a long-term cultural repository while maximising reach. Doordarshan will also support pre-event promotion and cross-platform visibility to drive engagement.
Speaking at the signing, Doordarshan director general K. Satish Nambudiripad and Indian Council for Cultural Relations director general K. Nandini Singla highlighted the potential of the partnership to strengthen India’s cultural diplomacy through modern media channels.
The agreement, initially valid for three years, also allows Doordarshan to explore monetisation opportunities from the content generated, adding a commercial layer to cultural broadcasting.
As India looks to blend tradition with technology, this partnership signals a clear intent to make its cultural voice not just heard, but seen and streamed across the globe.
I&B Ministry
Govt opens OTT financial bids to formalise digital ad partnerships
Move brings streaming platforms into structured, data-led outreach ecosystem
NEW DELHI: The government has opened financial bids for the empanelment of OTT platforms, marking a significant step in bringing streaming services into a more structured advertising framework.
The process, led by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting through its arm, the Central Bureau of Communication, is part of a broader push to modernise how public campaigns are distributed in an increasingly digital-first media landscape.
According to an official advisory, the financial bids were scheduled to be opened on April 8, 2026, at Soochna Bhawan in New Delhi. The move follows earlier consultations and signals that the empanelment exercise is progressing as planned.
At its core, the initiative aims to bring OTT platforms into the same organised ecosystem that governs government advertising across television, print and digital media. With streaming platforms rapidly gaining traction, especially among younger and urban audiences, the shift reflects a clear pivot towards high-engagement channels.
The empanelment framework introduces a rate discovery mechanism, where the lowest bids will help set benchmark pricing for advertising across platforms. These rates will apply to multiple ad formats, including pre-roll videos and homepage placements, ensuring consistency in how campaigns are priced and executed.
To maintain accountability, participating platforms will be required to meet defined performance standards, including minimum view-through rates for video ads, third-party measurement compliance and detailed reporting for audits. The guidelines also draw a line between original OTT services and aggregators, allowing only platforms with significant ownership or exclusive rights over content to qualify.
This development builds on the government’s Digital Advertisement Policy introduced in 2023, which has steadily expanded to include newer digital channels. By formally onboarding OTT platforms, the government is looking to sharpen both reach and measurement in its communication strategy.
For streaming companies, the opportunity opens the door to a consistent stream of government advertising, though within tightly defined pricing structures. For policymakers, it is another step towards aligning outreach with changing media consumption habits.
As the bids are evaluated, the spotlight now shifts to which platforms make the cut and how competitively they have priced their inventory, decisions that could shape the future of government advertising on OTT for years to come.
