I&B Ministry
CBC extends empanelment of five cinema ad agencies till December 2026
Move ensures continuity of government cinema campaigns as fresh panel process begins.
MUMBAI: The show must go on. And for the government’s cinema campaigns, the credits won’t roll just yet. The Central Bureau of Communication (CBC), under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, has extended the validity of its existing panel of five empanelled digital cinema agencies until 31 December 2026, ensuring uninterrupted execution of government advertising campaigns in cinema halls while a fresh empanelment process is prepared.
According to an advisory issued by the CBC on 24 June, the current empanelment will remain valid until 31 December 2026, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The extension covers UFO Moviez India Ltd, Qube Cinema Technologies Pvt Ltd, PVR Inox Limited, K Sera Sera Cinema Facility Management Pvt Ltd and Khushi Advertising Ideas Pvt Ltd. The order was issued with the approval of the competent authority and signed by Anakha V, Assistant Director, Central Bureau of Communication.
The move ensures that central ministries and government departments can continue running public awareness campaigns across multiplexes and single-screen theatres without disruption. The CBC, the government’s nodal agency for public communication, uses empanelled agencies to execute campaigns across print, television, radio, outdoor, digital and cinema platforms.
Cinema advertising has increasingly become an effective medium for reaching captive audiences before movie screenings, with campaigns promoting flagship welfare schemes, public health initiatives, financial inclusion, tax awareness, voter participation and national observances.
By extending the current panel instead of allowing it to lapse, the government has avoided a gap in cinema-based advertising while it works on a revised empanelment framework.
The extension also reinforces the role of leading cinema technology and exhibition companies in government communications. UFO Moviez and Qube Cinema collectively power digital projection infrastructure across thousands of cinema screens in India, while PVR Inox, the country’s largest multiplex chain, continues to remain eligible for government advertising campaigns through its nationwide network.
The decision comes as cinema advertising continues to recover following the resurgence in theatrical footfalls after the pandemic, particularly during blockbuster releases and holiday periods. Industry executives say the extension provides operational certainty to both government advertisers and cinema advertising agencies without requiring ministries to alter existing media buying plans.
The advisory states that the current empanelment will remain effective until 31 December 2026, or until further orders, indicating that the CBC could introduce a fresh empanelment process before the year’s end. For agencies, the extension offers continuity; for the government, it ensures that its messages continue reaching audiences where the big screen still commands undivided attention.
