GECs
CII-E&Y action report on media to be ready 16 October; moots pricing model for channels
When the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-organised Enter Media 2001 conference ended in Mumbai on 9 August, it had been declared that a white paper would be produced by CII in conjunction with Ernst and Young to go into practical ways of addressing some of the key issues that had been thrown up during the two-day conference.
Well, that report is almost ready and the final touches are being made to it by the CII in conjunction with Ernst and Young. According to Biren Ghose, CEO of UTV Interactive and chairman of the task force assigned the task of preparing the report, it will be out on 16 October.
The report will first be presented to the information and broadcasting ministry before being made public, Ghose says. The dates of the meeting with the I&B ministry officials are yet to be finalised though.
Among the recommendations that are being finalised in the report as far as the television industry is concerned are: 1. The present foreign direct investment ceiling of 49 per cent on broadcasting companies be removed.
2. The government needs to bring in some clarity on direct to home broadcast.
3. The problem of cable operators underdeclaring their subscriber base as well as the interlinked issue of addressability is also being covered in the report, Ghose says.
4. But what is by far the most innovative and unique of the recommendations has got to be a pricing model for channels that the panel is trying to formulate. According to Ghose, the idea is to have a formula whereby, based on a number of parameters, the mean price of any channel can be ascertained. The value that is derived for any channel could form the basis for negotiations between a broadcaster and MSO vis-a-vis subscriber rates. What exactly is the formula the panel is using to derive its pricing mechanism is awaited.
One common thread that ran through the two days that made up the conference was the issue of piracy. Queried as to what measures were being envisioned to address this, Ghose said first the film industry would have to get more involved. Expecting the government to deal with the problem was not realistic. The panel is looking to an anti-piracy corpus made up of contributions from within the industry that will finance the maintenance of an enforcement force whose responsibility it will be to tackle piracy. It will be proposed to the government that it set up some nodal agency that can follow up on any piracy complaints brought to its notice.
GECs
Swift TV Announces Strategic Content Partnership with Kutingg, a Subsidiary of Balaji Telefilms Limited
Swift TV has announced a strategic content and distribution partnership with Kutingg, the digital entertainment subsidiary of Balaji Telefilms Limited, as part of its strategy to strengthen its premium content offering across Connected TV (CTV) and Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) platforms.
As part of the partnership, Swift TV will onboard and distribute a curated portfolio of Kutingg’s premium, original, and exclusive digital-first programming across its expanding CTV and FAST ecosystem. The move is aimed at enhancing Swift TV’s content library while increasing access to high-quality entertainment for audiences consuming content on smart TVs and connected screens.
The collaboration brings together Balaji Telefilms’ long-standing content creation expertise with Swift TV’s growing connected TV distribution footprint, which spans smart TV OEM partnerships, CTV operating systems, and FAST channel integrations. The partnership is expected to significantly improve content discoverability and audience reach, while creating new monetisation opportunities across the connected TV value chain.
Kutingg, as Balaji Telefilms’ digital entertainment arm, has been focused on developing contemporary, digital-first programming aligned with evolving viewer preferences. Through Swift TV’s CTV and FAST distribution network, Kutingg’s content will now extend beyond mobile-first consumption and reach living-room audiences at scale, supporting the studio’s broader digital expansion strategy.
For Swift TV, the alliance aligns with its focus on building a differentiated, premium FAST and CTV content proposition in India. By adding Kutingg’s original and exclusive titles, Swift TV aims to drive higher engagement, longer viewing sessions, and increased time spent on connected screens.
From an industry perspective, the partnership reflects the accelerating shift of video consumption toward connected TVs and the growing role of FAST platforms in delivering free, premium content to large audiences. With smart TV penetration continuing to rise in India, such partnerships are becoming central to how studios and platforms expand reach and monetisation beyond traditional linear and subscription-based OTT models.
The collaboration also strengthens Swift TV’s offering for advertisers, enabling brands to access premium, brand-safe environments and large-screen audiences through FAST and CTV inventory. The integration of Kutingg’s content is expected to further enhance the platform’s appeal to advertisers seeking scalable, high-impact connected TV reach.
Overall, the partnership underscores Swift TV’s long-term strategy to build a robust connected TV ecosystem while supporting Kutingg and Balaji Telefilms in expanding their digital footprint across the fast-growing CTV and FAST segment in India.
