iWorld
Digital radio technology can double broadcast sector’s revenue in five years: ICEA-EY report
Mumbai: The adoption of digital radio technology will help the broadcast sector double its revenues within five years to Rs. 12,300 crore, according to a report prepared by the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) and EY.
The report shows that digital radio broadcasting can be extremely beneficial for all the stakeholders in the sector—broadcasters, listeners, advertisers, and regulators—and can help the FM radio segment boost revenues. This comes at a time when the FM radio segment has been struggling to generate robust revenues over the past few years.
It would lead to more advertising inventory to sell with the ability to charge higher rates based on segmented audiences. Given that the digital radio system can provide listenership data, broadcasters can build trust and eventually grow revenues.
Another significant benefit of these technologies for broadcasters is that their transmitters use significantly less power than analogue radio transmitters.
India has also tested two technologies – HD radio and digital radio mondiale (DRM), for digital broadcasting in the FM band.
ICEA chairman Pankaj Mohindroo stated, “India is a heterogeneous market and provides audience segments with differing tastes as well as payment capabilities. Digital broadcast radio has the ability to cater to segments of entry-level smartphones and several hundred million feature phone users to receive enhanced services in the areas of health, education, emergency, and weather, which by complementing data networks, decongests them. Communication usage with IOT devices is next envisaged in the pipeline too.”
Citing the report, Mohindroo said, “Digital technologies would go a long way in widening the network of broadcast infrastructure in the country and the number of radio stations would grow multifold from the current numbers of less than 300 to over 1,100 without any additional spectrum.”
EY India partner Ashish Pherwani said, “Digital radio can provide a much-needed boost to the Indian radio segment. As a free-to-air medium, radio plays a very vital role in India’s informing and educating its people. Systemic issues around measurement, reach, operating models, competing products, and COVID-19 impacted the segment with failing revenues and shrinking opportunities. Digital radio can help grow the radio segment in India by 3x over 5 years, if implemented keeping in mind the requirements of various stakeholders and with the correct policy support.”
According to the report, the number of channels will increase significantly from the perspective of listeners. Around 4x more channels are possible within the same frequency, which can provide more options to listeners. Furthermore, the technology is broadcast-centric, and consumers would not have to pay any data charges. Analogue transmission would also be enhanced as it provides a better listening experience than digital transmission across both audio quality and user interface.
Digital technologies would also bring about major reforms for the regulators as it would result in optimum use of scarce spectrum in the middle and long term and lead to increased taxes from increased revenues. It would also allow the authorities to use digital radio infrastructure for emergency warnings and traffic information.
The report prepared by ICEA and EY noted that a complete transition from analogue to digital radio infrastructure would take three to five years. Radio broadcasters cannot enable a switch-on-switch-off transition to digital radio as they are dependent on linear FM reach for their revenues. This would mean that analogue and digital broadcasting will need to exist in parallel till adequate reach is achieved.
Consequently, for some years, there would be no spectrum saving, said the report. The report has recommended innovation around cost-effective chipsets, antennas, and software to drive quicker adoption of digital radio. It has also been said that competing products using low bandwidth data and consensus on music royalties are issues that need to be addressed.
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
