I&B Ministry
FDI proposals in print, broadcasting to be cleared by MIB; satellites by DoS
MUMBAI: 5 June, 2017. That’s the date the Indian government announced that all foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals relating to the print and broadcast sector will be approved by the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB).
Approvals for proposals relating to satellite and telecom FDI investment have been put under the ambit of the department of space and department of telecom, ministry of communications, respectively.
This was announced by the government through a circular issued on the foreign investment promotions board (FIPB) website by ministry of finance joint secretary Saurabh Garg. The circular has pointed out that the following ministries will provide approval for foreign capital inflow proposals:
*Ministry of mines (mining), department of defence production,
*ministry of defence (defence),
*ministry of homes affairs (FDI in small arms manufacturing),
* ministry of civil aviation (aviation),
*ministry of home affairs (private security agencies),
*department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP), ministry of commerce & industry (trading – single and multi brand and food products retail trading),
*department of financial services, ministry of finance (banking – both public and private);
*department of economic affairs (DEA), ministry of finance (financial services in areas where there is no regulator or more than one or ambiguity about the regulator)
* department of pharmaceuticals, ministry of chemicals & fertilizers (pharamceuticals)
The circular has also stated that NRI FDI proposals or FDI proposals for export oriented units will continue to come under the ambit of the DIPP and will be processed by it. The DIPP will also have the responsibility to identify the right ministry if there is a doubt about who should deal with an FDI application. Applications for FDI into core investment companies or into Indian investment companies which will solely invest in Indian companies will need the DEA approval no matter which sector the investment is being made, says the circular.
Investors will continue making their FDI applications through the FIPB portal, the oversight of which is being transferred to the DIPP from the DEA by next month.
The government has stated that the DIPP will lay down a standard operating procedure (SOP) in consultation with each department/ministry. It has stated that the SOP could involve the inter-ministerial committee (IMC) where necessary and it has to have a consistency of treatment and uniformity of approach towards all sectors. It has also ordered that departments and administrative ministries will need to get the approval of the minister in charge/cabinet committee on economic affairs on each FDI application as per the FDI policy.
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I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati opens AIR to private content under new policy
NIPP introduces revenue share, sponsored and gratis models
MUMBAI: Radio may be the oldest voice in the room, but it’s learning some very modern tricks. In a bid to stay tuned to changing listener habits, Prasar Bharati has opened the doors of All India Radio to private players under a newly rolled-out content framework. The initiative, titled Notice Inviting Programme Proposals (NIPP), marks a significant shift in how the public broadcaster approaches programming moving from a largely in-house model to a more collaborative, market-aligned ecosystem. Issued by Akashvani’s Directorate General in April 2026, the policy invites private producers, content owners and aggregators to pitch programmes across formats, from radio dramas and documentaries to quiz shows, storytelling and music-led content.
At the heart of the framework lies a three-pronged participation model designed to balance creative freedom with commercial viability. The most prominent route is revenue sharing, where advertising and sponsorship income generated by a programme is split between the producer and the broadcaster. The structure tilts in favour of creators offering a 70:30 split when producers bring in advertising, and 65:35 when monetisation is handled by Prasar Bharati.
Alongside this sits the sponsored model, where producers fully fund and monetise their content, subject to compliance with advertising norms and the AIR Broadcast Code. For those less commercially inclined, a gratis route allows content to be submitted free of cost, with Prasar Bharati retaining all monetisation rights effectively turning the platform into a national distribution channel for diverse voices.
The move comes as legacy media grapples with intensifying competition from private FM networks, streaming platforms and digital audio ecosystems. By repositioning AIR as both a public service broadcaster and a content marketplace, Prasar Bharati appears to be recalibrating its role in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
Importantly, the framework does not dilute editorial control. All submissions must adhere to the AIR Broadcast Code, and proposals are evaluated through a layered process that weighs storytelling quality, production capability, audience appeal and revenue potential. Only proposals crossing a defined threshold move forward, signalling that while access has widened, the bar remains firmly in place.
Operational discipline is another cornerstone of the policy. Producers are required to maintain broadcast-ready content, deliver episode banks in advance and navigate a structured approval process. Crucially, all production costs are borne by the content provider, reinforcing Prasar Bharati’s positioning as a distribution and oversight platform rather than a commissioning entity.
What elevates the initiative further is its scale. The framework spans multiple clusters and stations across India, covering both metro and regional markets, with specific language mandates and submission channels. This not only expands the content pipeline but also deepens linguistic and cultural representation, an area where AIR has historically held an advantage.
In effect, NIPP signals a quiet but meaningful transformation. AIR is no longer just broadcasting to the nation, it is inviting the nation to broadcast with it, blending legacy reach with contemporary content economics in a bid to stay relevant in an increasingly fragmented audio universe.
