I&B Ministry
Broadcast media sector FDI norms see minor tweaks in govt’s fresh announcement
NEW DELHI: The government of India yesterday issued a comprehensive FDI policy for various sectors where a slight change has been noticed in the media sector from what had already been announced in June 2016. Now, 100 per cent FDI is allowed in cable TV and HITS under automatic route for both digital and non-digital carriage services.
For those segments of the media where automatic FDI approval is not granted and a government okay is needed, it would now be the nodal ministry — Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) — that would be responsible for the green signal instead of Commerce Ministry’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board, a division that has been now dismantled as part of government’s bid to make easy doing business in India.
FDI in broadcast carriage services like teleports, DTH, cable networks (both MSOs and LCOs for DAS and non-DAS areas), mobile TV, headend-in-the-sky broadcasting service (HITS) is 100 per cent under automatic route.
The foreign investment limit (FDI) in terrestrial broadcasting of FM Radio and up-linking of news and current affairs TV channels remain at 49 per cent subject to government approval. Up-linking and downlinking of non-news and current affairs TV channels continue to be 100 per cent under automatic route.
Publishing of newspaper and periodicals dealing with news and current affairs and publication of Indian editions of foreign magazines dealing with news and current affairs have a 26 per cent FDI limit subject to government approval.
The head of an MSO company, on condition of anonymity, said it’s slightly confusing as to why it has been stated that 100 per cent FDI is allowed for carriage services like cable TV and HITS in both digital and non-digital areas under automatic route.
Though the government is of the opinion that 100 per cent digitization has been achieved in the country, broadcast carriage industry (MSOs and LCOs) insist there analog pockets in the country persist as set-top-boxes are still being seeded in small towns and rural areas.
The government has also notified — most of it reiteration of earlier policy decision — detailed conditions for the broadcast media and they can be viewed at http://dipp.nic.in/sites/default/files/CFPC_2017_FINAL_RELEASED_28.8.17.pdf:
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I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati opens AIR to private content under new policy
NIPP introduces revenue share, sponsored and gratis models
MUMBAI: Radio may be the oldest voice in the room, but it’s learning some very modern tricks. In a bid to stay tuned to changing listener habits, Prasar Bharati has opened the doors of All India Radio to private players under a newly rolled-out content framework. The initiative, titled Notice Inviting Programme Proposals (NIPP), marks a significant shift in how the public broadcaster approaches programming moving from a largely in-house model to a more collaborative, market-aligned ecosystem. Issued by Akashvani’s Directorate General in April 2026, the policy invites private producers, content owners and aggregators to pitch programmes across formats, from radio dramas and documentaries to quiz shows, storytelling and music-led content.
At the heart of the framework lies a three-pronged participation model designed to balance creative freedom with commercial viability. The most prominent route is revenue sharing, where advertising and sponsorship income generated by a programme is split between the producer and the broadcaster. The structure tilts in favour of creators offering a 70:30 split when producers bring in advertising, and 65:35 when monetisation is handled by Prasar Bharati.
Alongside this sits the sponsored model, where producers fully fund and monetise their content, subject to compliance with advertising norms and the AIR Broadcast Code. For those less commercially inclined, a gratis route allows content to be submitted free of cost, with Prasar Bharati retaining all monetisation rights effectively turning the platform into a national distribution channel for diverse voices.
The move comes as legacy media grapples with intensifying competition from private FM networks, streaming platforms and digital audio ecosystems. By repositioning AIR as both a public service broadcaster and a content marketplace, Prasar Bharati appears to be recalibrating its role in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
Importantly, the framework does not dilute editorial control. All submissions must adhere to the AIR Broadcast Code, and proposals are evaluated through a layered process that weighs storytelling quality, production capability, audience appeal and revenue potential. Only proposals crossing a defined threshold move forward, signalling that while access has widened, the bar remains firmly in place.
Operational discipline is another cornerstone of the policy. Producers are required to maintain broadcast-ready content, deliver episode banks in advance and navigate a structured approval process. Crucially, all production costs are borne by the content provider, reinforcing Prasar Bharati’s positioning as a distribution and oversight platform rather than a commissioning entity.
What elevates the initiative further is its scale. The framework spans multiple clusters and stations across India, covering both metro and regional markets, with specific language mandates and submission channels. This not only expands the content pipeline but also deepens linguistic and cultural representation, an area where AIR has historically held an advantage.
In effect, NIPP signals a quiet but meaningful transformation. AIR is no longer just broadcasting to the nation, it is inviting the nation to broadcast with it, blending legacy reach with contemporary content economics in a bid to stay relevant in an increasingly fragmented audio universe.
