I&B Ministry
Day 9: FM Phase III price touches Rs 900 crore; demand slows
NEW DELHI: Even as the cumulative provisional winning price touched Rs 900 crore against their aggregate reserve price of about Rs 407 crore at the end of 36 rounds on the ninth day of bidding for FM Phase III, the percentage price increment (in INR) applicable for the Next Clock Round was almost nil in most cities.
A total of 85 channels in 56 cities became provisionally winning channels after four more rounds today (6 August). Thus the summation of provisional winning prices surpassed the cumulative reserve price of the 85 channels by Rs 493.19 crore or 121.2 per cent.
The cumulative provisional winning price exceeded the total reserve price of the first batch by Rs 349.89 crore or 63.6 per cent. The total reserve price of the first batch of 135 FM channels in 69 existing cities is Rs 550.18 crore.
The Auction Activity Requirement of 80 per cent set at the beginning of the auction continued to remain the same on the ninth day.
As was previously reported by Indiantelevision.com, the 13 cities for which no bids have come are Asansol, Gulbarga, Mangalore, Mysore, Puducherry, Rajahmundry, Siliguri, Tiruchy, Tirunveli, Tirupati, Tuticorin, Vijaywada and Warangal.
The demand over the price in many cities fell by up to three per cent below the aggregate demand.
The Percentage Price Increment (in INR) applicable for the Next Clock Round was five per cent in Jaipur and a mere one per cent in Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Mumbai, Nasik, Patiala and Pune.
The highest Provisional winning price – the same as the Clock round price at the start of the twenty-eighth round – was in Delhi at Rs 138.64 crore followed by Mumbai at Rs 91.38 crore with both showing marginal increase compared to yesterday.
Among cities recording more than Rs 10 crore, the number rose sizeably in Jaipur at Rs 19.15 crore and marginally in Chennai at Rs 40.84 crore, Pune at Rs 33.77 crore, Patna at Rs 17.!5
89,83,876;, Chandigarh at Rs 16,90,34,565, and Cochin – Rs 10,95,52,597.
Thus Bengaluru and Mumbai are the only cities which may soon cross the Rs 100 crore figure, besides Delhi which did so early in the e-auctions.
Bengaluru – Rs 98,02,16,503, Ahmedabad – Rs 42,68,76,267, Hyderabad at Rs 18,00,00,000, and Lucknow – Rs 14,00,55,000 remained static.
I&B Ministry
CBFC speeds up film certification; average approval time cut to 22 days
Over 71,900 films cleared in five years as digital system shortens approval timelines
MUMBAI:Â The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has significantly reduced the time taken to certify films, with the average approval timeline now down to 22 working days for feature films and just three days for short films.
Operating under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the statutory body certifies films for public exhibition in line with the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024. The rules prescribe a maximum certification period of 48 working days, though the adoption of the Online Certification System has sharply accelerated the process.
Over the past five years, from 2020-21 to 2024-25, the board certified a total of 71,963 films across formats. Of these, the majority fell under the U category with 41,817 titles, followed by UA with 28,268 films and A with 1,878 films. No films were certified under the S category during the period.
Film approvals have also steadily risen in recent years. The CBFC cleared 8,299 films in 2020-21, a figure that peaked at 18,070 in 2022-23 before settling at 15,444 films in 2024-25. During the same period, 11,064 films were certified with cuts or modifications.
Despite the high volume of certifications, outright refusals remain rare. Only three films were denied certification over the last five years, with one refusal recorded in 2022-23 and two in 2024-25.
The board may recommend cuts or modifications if a film violates statutory parameters relating to the sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, defamation, contempt of court or incitement to an offence.
Filmmakers can challenge CBFC decisions in court. Data shows that such disputes remain limited but have seen some fluctuation. Between 2021 and 2025, a total of 21 certification decisions were challenged before High Courts, with the number rising to 10 cases in 2025.
Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, minister of state for information and broadcasting L. Murugan shared the data. The question was raised by Mallikarjun Kharge.
With faster timelines and a largely digital workflow, the certification process appears to be moving at a far brisker pace, signalling a shift towards quicker clearances for India’s growing film output.
