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Convergence bill still a while away: Mahajan
NEW DELHI: India will have to wait for at least six months before having a legislation to regulate and govern the convergence space encompassing the sectors of telecom, information technology and broadcasting.
“I foresee the convergence bill taking a final shape (after the suggestion of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Telecom & IT) sometime in May,” telecom, IT and parliamentary affairs minister Pramod Mahajan said to a query put to him by indiantelevision.com on the sidelines of the ongoing India Economic Summit organized by the World Economic Forum and the CII.
Asked about the status of the Convergence Communication Bill, which had been referred to the Standing Committee last year, Mahajan said, “The parliamentary panel has just submitted its report and in the beginning only some people have said whether the time is ripe for a Convergence legislation. I have not yet gone into the suggestion but will take a holistic approach once the report is studied.”
The Standing Committee, which submitted its report a few days back to Parliament, has highlighted the fact some people who had deposed before it and sent information on the Bill had questioned the very need for such a piece of legislation in the first place at the present juncture.
According to Mahajan, if there is a need, after studying the Standing panels report, another round of debate can be had in Parliament. “But I see the Bill being taken up (for discussion) by the Parliament only during the Budget session and that too in the latter half of the session after the (annual) Budget (of the country) has been discussed,” he added.
Mahajan said that he has asked his ministry to go into the Standing panels report on Convergence Communication Bill that will take into account various comments collated by the panel. “Once that has happened, only then I can make up my mind and if need be we can have another round of discussion (on the issue) in Parliament.”
Asked whether he is in favour of an overall legislation for the convergence space, Mahajan said, “Personally I am in favour of such a piece of legislation because some time or other it has to come. The earlier the work on it begins, the better.”
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Business Today MindRush returns to Mumbai, spotlight on India’s edge in a fractured world
Policymakers and corporate heavyweights gather to map supply chains, energy security and markets
MUMBAI: As fault lines widen across global trade and geopolitics, Business Today is doubling down on India’s moment. The 14th edition of Business Today MindRush & Best CEOs Awards lands in Mumbai on March 28, pitching India’s strategic edge at the centre of a fragmenting world.
The day-long summit, presented by PwC, will bring together a tight mix of policymakers, industry leaders and market voices to decode shifting supply chains, maritime strategy, defence priorities, energy security and capital markets—sectors now deeply entangled with geopolitics.
M Nagaraju, secretary, department of financial services, ministry of finance, will headline the event, setting the tone for discussions that aim to track how India is repositioning itself amid disrupted trade routes and volatile energy dynamics.
The speaker slate reads like a cross-section of India Inc’s command centre. Krishna Swaminathan will zero in on sea lanes and supply chains, while Prashant Ruia is set to push the case for self-reliance in oil and gas. Ashish Chauhan will weigh in on capital markets at a pivotal juncture, as a panel featuring Vibha Padalkar, Sanjiv Mehta, Amish Mehta and Sanjeev Krishan debates navigating economic uncertainty.
Leadership under pressure will be another running theme. Madhavkrishna Singhania, Sharvil Patel, Karan Bhagat and Anurag Choudhary will unpack how businesses are steering through disruption. Arun Alagappan will turn the spotlight on fertilisers, Arundhati Bhattacharya will reflect on leadership transitions, while Anish Shah and S Vellayan will outline blueprints for building future-ready conglomerates.
The event will close with Aroon Purie setting the broader editorial lens, before the Best CEOs Awards recognise standout corporate leadership across sectors.
At a time when the global order looks increasingly splintered, MindRush 2026 is positioning itself as more than a conference—it is a signal that India intends not just to navigate the churn, but to shape it.
