MAM
AROI welcomes TRAI’s broadcasting recommendations under Telecommunications Act
MUMBAI: This is one industry which is kind of giving the thumbs up to the recently recommended changes to broadcasting services by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) under the Telecommunications Act, 2023. In fact, the radio industry has gone beyond that and has welcome the proposed changes through The Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI).
The proposals outline significant changes to the regulatory framework, replacing the existing licensing model with a structured authorisation system intended to streamline operations and foster digital transformation.
The key recommendations include:
* A voluntary migration path for existing licensees until 2030, becoming mandatory thereafter
* Technology-neutral approach to facilitate digital broadcasting transition
* Separation of service authorisation from frequency assignment
* Permission for private FM stations to broadcast news and current affairs for up to 10 minutes hourly
* Allowance for terrestrial radio services to stream content online simultaneously
* Removal of mandatory co-location requirements for FM radio stations
* Voluntary infrastructure sharing between broadcasting and telecom providers
* Implementation of a separate programme code and advertisement code for private radio
* 10-year licence renewal periods with a 4 per cent adjusted gross revenue fee structure
* Potential shift from city-wise to district-wise allocation of FM frequencies
The Telecommunications Act, 2023, which repeals the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885, mandates authorisation for entities providing telecommunication services, though implementation dates remain pending.
An AROI spokesperson acknowledged the recommendations as “a welcome step towards industry growth and regulatory clarity” whilst noting certain aspects may require “further discussion” to fully serve private broadcasters’ interests
Brands
Paytm taps Ujas Shah as vice president for sales, business development
Veteran executive to drive swiping devices and merchant-led growth
BENGALURU: Paytm has appointed Ujas Shah as vice president—sales business development, reinforcing its push to scale offline payments and device-led monetisation as competition in fintech intensifies.
In the role, Shah will lead business development for swiping devices, shape go-to-market strategy and oversee profit-and-loss execution across Paytm’s offline payments stack. His remit includes expanding distribution, tightening merchant lifecycle management and rolling out KPI-led sales systems aimed at improving acquisition and retention.
The appointment reads like an operational signal from the top: execution, discipline and scale now matter as much as growth. Industry executives say device-led payments, long viewed as margin accretive, are back in sharp focus.
Shah is a long-standing Paytm executive, having previously served as national sales head, assistant vice president and general manager for sales. Before joining the company, he held senior roles at Kinara Capital, where he was field sales head, and earlier at Idea Cellular, Tata Teleservices, Samsung Electronics and Asian Paints.
His two decades across telecom, consumer and fintech businesses give him a rare, cross-sector view of distribution-heavy models: an asset as Paytm looks to extract more value from its merchant base amid tighter capital and higher investor scrutiny.
