MAM
Trai not to implement ad regulations till further orders from Tdsat
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (Tdsat) has directed the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to hold on to its commitment of not implementing regulation of advertisement on television channels till its further orders.
The commitment that the Standards of Quality of Service (Duration of Advertisements in Television Channels) Regulations, 2012 dated 14 May 2012 will not be implemented till 30 August was given by Trai during a Tdsat hearing on July 17.
Broadcasters had moved Tdsat challenging the authority of Trai to implement the provision in the Cable Act that restricts the total advertisements in an hour to 12 minutes.
Trai will not take steps to implement the regulations on advertisement limit till the next hearing. Tdsat chairman S B Sinha and member P K Rastogi have listed for further hearing on 3 December the petitions filed by broadcasters and organisations against ad regulations.
Tdsat gave its directive after Trai Counsel Saket Singh gave an assurance that the regulator was prepared to discuss the issue with broadcasters and other stakeholders. Singh also pointed out that Trai had, in fact asked all stakeholders to respond by 11 September to amendments proposed in the draft regulation “Standards of Quality of Service (Duration of Advertisements in Television Channels) (Amendment) Regulations, 2012”. The draft amendment was released on 27 August.
The petitioners have questioned the powers of Trai contending that the regulator has no power to limit the ad times. According to the broadcasters, such power vests with the central government and that only it can issue such directions under The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995.
The Tribunal was hearing different petitions by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, the News Broadcasters Association,. ESPN Software India Pvt. Ltd., Multi Screen India Pvt. Ltd., Neo Sports Broadcast Pvt. Ltd., and Discovery Communication India which had been clubbed together.
Some of the petitions had been filed when the first Regulations were issued on 14 May while those affecting sports channels were filed following the amended draft issued on 27 August.
Counsel A J Bhambani who represented some of the petitioners in the appeal challenging the Trai Regulations said the regulator should not have issued any amended regulations in view of its assurance to the tribunal in July that it would not implement its regulation till 30 August.
Singh said Trai had only issued draft Regulations as part of the consultation process and had no intention of enforcing it till all the stakeholders had been heard.
Trai had first issued a notification on 14 May limiting the duration of advertisements in TV channels to 12 minutes per hour. Any shortfall of advertisement duration in any hour cannot be carried over, the telecom regulator had said. Trai in its regulation had also said that the minimum time gap between any two consecutive advertisement breaks should not be less than 15 minutes and not less than 30 minutes for movies.
Trai in its draft amendment of 27 August has proposed to withdraw the requirement of a 15-minute gap between ad breaks, while sticking to the overall ad time of 12 minutes per hour. For sports broadcasters, Trai has proposed to remove the clause that permitted ads only during breaks in case of live broadcast of a sporting event.
Also read:
Broadcasters get breathing space as Tdsat stays Trai‘s ad cap rule Trai willing to discuss with broadcasters on TV ad time issue
MAM
Ad:tech honours 2026: Full list of winners announced
Expanded awards spotlight winners across 22 categories as industry doubles down on intelligent automation
NEW DELHI: Marketing’s tech elite took the spotlight as the ad:tech honours 2026 returned with a sharper focus on AI, data and immersive media, signalling how deeply technology now underpins brand strategy. Held at Yashobhoomi on March 17, the second edition drew industry leaders to celebrate innovation that is reshaping engagement and performance.
Presented with the International Advertising Association India chapter and new partner Huella, the awards expanded from 8 to 22 categories, tracking the rapid convergence of creativity, automation and analytics.
The winners’ list reads like a snapshot of marketing’s future. In affiliate and partner marketing, Lyxel & Flamingo – Boat and Paytm Ads – Giva took silver. Mobavenue Media Private Limited struck gold in AI-driven dynamic creative optimisation, alongside a silver for Laqshya Media Limited.
Creative AI collaboration saw Rediffusion Brand Solutions Private Limited win gold, with Saltinc Consulting Private Limited securing silver. Laqshya Media Limited continued its strong run, taking gold in AI conversation agents and adding multiple wins across categories, including silver in GenAI-led creative and both gold and silver in interactive DOOH campaigns for Tanishq and Tata Coffee.
Predictive AI honours went to Strong Metrics and Tyroo, both silver, while Orient Bell Limited picked up silver in immersive retail tech. In GenAI-led creative, Laqshya Media Limited, Salt – Kotak and Sumimoto each secured silver, reflecting the crowded race in generative creativity.
Publicis bagged silver in influencer management and gold in performance marketing, where it shared the stage with Arm Worldwide and The Trade Desk, both silver. Glad U Came Private Limited stood out with gold in influencer measurement and analytics.
Marketing automation saw CereOne Media Pvt. Ltd. and Globale Media win silver, while ADMOTT Private Limited claimed silver in OTT innovation.
Programmatic media categories highlighted the shift to advanced targeting and connected screens. Mobavenue Media Private Limited clinched gold in connected TV advertising, with Animmoov Digital Media Pvt Ltd – Asus and Lyxel and Flamingo taking silver. Cheggout Services Private Limited won silver in retail media advertising, while Paytm Ads – Versuni secured gold.
On social platforms, Vayner Media India took gold in community and UGC engagement, with Under 25 – Oppo winning silver. Segumento rounded off the list with silver in the innovation category.
Jaswant Singh, country managing director at ad:tech India, underscored the momentum, saying generative AI and data-driven decision-making are now central to marketing impact. Neena Dasgupta, IAA mancom member and chief executive and founder at The Salt Inc Consulting, added that the awards celebrate not just technology, but “the people, the creativity, and the relentless effort behind it.”
Backed by Comexposium Group, ad:tech New Delhi has long tracked digital disruption. Now, with the honours, it is rewarding those who are not just adapting to change but engineering it.
In an industry racing towards automation, the message from 2026 is unmistakable. The future of marketing will be written not just in ideas, but in algorithms.
