I&B Ministry
Digital dreams take flight: IDS 2025 is around the corner
MUMBAI: Get ready to plug into the pulse of innovation!
If you’re a tech enthusiast with an insatiable curiosity for all things digital, mark your calendars. The India Digital Summit (IDS), the crown jewel of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), is back for its 19th edition. Slated for 16-17 January 2025 at the vibrant hub of Aerocity, New Delhi, this year’s summit promises to be a game-changer. With the theme “Bharat’s Digital Path: Empowering Future Innovators”, the event is set to chart the course of India’s digital revolution.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and digital India, this powerhouse conference will bring together the brightest minds, cutting-edge tech, and transformative ideas to fuel the next wave of innovation.
Get ready to witness the future unfold, one byte at a time!
IDS is India’s largest and oldest digital ecosystem conference, bringing together policymakers, senior executives, academicians, and industry experts to discuss opportunities and challenges across digital sectors. This year’s summit will host over 300 sessions across 17 tracks, addressing domains such as advertising, artificial intelligence, eCommerce, education, and tech innovations for health, rural areas, and sports.
The event will feature more than 15,000 delegates and include a 100-stall exhibition where over 50 leading digital brands will showcase cutting-edge innovations. Attendees can participate in diverse activities like workshops, masterclasses, hackathons, roundtables, and industry meet-ups, creating a unique blend of insights and networking opportunities.
A special focus on startups will highlight startup street and startup pitching sessions. These initiatives will allow emerging entrepreneurs to present live demos, engage with investors, and seek funding and partnerships.
IDS 2025 will also host the prestigious India Digital Awards (IDA), adjudicated by a panel of over 40 industry leaders. Now in its 15th edition, the awards will honour digital excellence across four categories and 47 subcategories. Additionally, the Digital Responsibility Awards (DRA) will return for its second year, recognising significant contributions to bridging India’s digital divides.
Gold partners for IDS 2025 include PhonePe, Australia Trade and Investment Commission, IDA Ireland, Jagran New Media, and Exotel, while Route Mobile serves as the cloud communications partner. Silver partners include Shiprocket, Times Internet, and TV9 Network.
Speaking about the summit’s significance, IAMAI underscored its role in driving India’s digital narrative while addressing persisting challenges in bridging the digital divide.
For further details, visit: India Digital Summit
I&B Ministry
Press Sewa Portal digitises 1.5 lakh records, streamlines periodical registrations: MIB
Online system spans 780 districts; Rs 5.6 crore penalties, 88,315 titles cancelled
NEW DELHI: India’s print media registry has quietly moved from dusty files to digital dashboards. The government has digitised more than 1.5 lakh historical records of newspapers and periodicals and shifted registrations fully online through the Press Sewa Portal.
Introduced under the Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023, the portal now handles all applications for registering periodicals, replacing the earlier paper-heavy system created under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, which has since been repealed.
The digital shift brings a wide range of services onto a single platform. Publishers can now register new periodicals, revise registrations, transfer ownership, file annual statements, pay penalties online and apply for circulation verification without navigating government offices.
As part of the rollout, specified authorities in 780 districts across India have been onboarded onto the platform. Since 1 March 2024, the portal has processed 11,081 applications and issued certificates across different categories.
The transition has also brought stronger compliance. According to government data, Rs 5.63 crore in penalties has been collected through the portal so far. States such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh account for some of the largest penalty collections.
At the same time, the authorities have carried out a major clean-up of inactive or non-compliant publications. A total of 88,315 periodicals have been cancelled nationwide, with Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi among the states reporting the highest number of cancellations.
The government says the system will continue to evolve based on feedback from users. The Press Registrar General of India (PRGI) regularly reviews suggestions to improve services and make compliance easier for publishers.
The full list of registered newspapers and periodicals is available on the PRGI website under the Registered Titles section.
The information was shared in a written reply in the Lok Sabha by minister of state for information and broadcasting and parliamentary affairs L Murugan, responding to a question from Damodar Agrawal.
