I&B Ministry
FII investments: I&B buys news channels’ line
NEW DELHI: A ministerial note being given final touches at the information and broadcasting ministry may bring smiles on the faces of listed media companies running news channels as a contentious issue of investment by foreign financial institutions (FIIs) would get addressed. A relaxation in investment norms is in the offing, provided the new Cabinet okays it.
But the same may not be true for the private FM radio companies as the information and broadcasting ministry feels that the players concerned have “complicated” the matters further by moving courts on the issue of annual licence fee, which became payable on 30 April.
The I&B ministry’s note on FII investment in TV news channels would be put up before the new minister on a priority basis so that various concerns raised by the likes of Zee Telefilms and Television Eighteen Ltd and stumbling investment blocks related to the likes of NDTV Ltd and TV Today Network Ltd get addressed for the smooth functioning of the companies concerned even while conforming to the existing laws of the land.
According to ministry sources, the issue of FII investment and whether it has to be treated as foreign investment or not is something that needs to be addressed quickly by the new government as the restructuring process of various companies running news channels depends on that.
At present, the I&B ministry treats FII investment as foreign investment in TV news companies, which has been making life difficult for various news channels to adhere to the existing foreign investment cap of 26 per cent andstill continue uplinking from India.
The contention of the likes of Television Eighteen has been, ministry sources told indiantelevision.com today, that it is difficult to keep track of every FII investment (read buying of shares) in publicly traded media companies, though the Companies Act, which would otherwise over-ride any other guidelines, is more liberal in this regard as long as sectoral caps are adhered to.
“We have sought information from the finance ministry on the FII investment angle and the issue is likely to be put up before the new minister as soon as possible,” a source in the I&B ministry said, pointing out that if the Companies Act does not treat FII investment as foreign investment in listed companies, then an amendment would be made in the uplinking laws of the country after Cabinet approval is obtained.
But the sources, however, ruled out any immediate relaxation in the foreign investment cap of 26 per cent in TV news ventures, saying, “these things, if at all they happen, would take a longer period of time for the government to decide on.”
CAS LIKELY TO BE DUMPED
Another opinion that is firming up in the I&B ministry amongst bureaucrats is that the issue of conditional access system (CAS) should not be pursued by the new government.
“Our advise to the new I&B minister would be to steer clear of issues like CAS that are simply nothing but a political minefield,” a senior government official said, adding that the effort would also be to “distance the I&B ministry as much as possible from CAS.”
The feeling in the outgoing government towards the end was also that law should not have mandated CAS and the technology should have been allowed to be evolved naturally via market forces.
Considering the stiff opposition to CAS in the two main states where CAS was being sought to be implemented — Union Territory of Delhi and West Bengal — government officials feel that the new government would prefer to steerclear of the CAS issue letting the regulator take an initial stand on the issue.
I&B Ministry
MeitY & Reliance Foundation launch e-SafeHER cyber training for Women
Programme aims to train one million rural women in cyber safety over three years
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has partnered with Reliance Foundation and C-DAC Hyderabad to launch ‘e-SafeHER’, a nationwide cyber security awareness programme aimed at empowering one million women across rural India.
Anchored under the Information Security Education and Awareness Programme, the initiative will focus on building digital confidence and safe online practices among women who are increasingly using digital platforms for financial transactions, livelihoods and essential services.
The programme will be rolled out through a community-led model, with training delivered via women’s self-help groups and grassroots networks. C-DAC Hyderabad will develop and localise training content, while Reliance Foundation will drive on-ground implementation using its rural outreach platforms.
Speaking on the launch, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology secretary S Krishnan said, “e-SafeHER is an exciting opportunity to bring together knowledge and collaboration to build a cyber secure Bharat. Through this initiative, women from even the remotest regions will be empowered to participate safely in the digital ecosystem.”
Echoing this, Reliance Foundation director Isha Ambani said the initiative aims to equip women with the skills needed to navigate the online world safely. She added that the goal is to enable one million “Cyber Sakhis” who can confidently adopt digital tools to improve their lives and livelihoods.
The programme will begin with pilot training in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, before scaling nationwide through a phased approach. It will use multilingual content, audio-visual modules and blended learning formats to ensure accessibility and engagement.
Designed for long-term impact, e-SafeHER will be integrated into existing digital literacy and women’s empowerment programmes, avoiding the need for parallel infrastructure. The initiative also aims to drive measurable behavioural change, from improved awareness of cyber risks to safer digital transactions.
By combining policy, technology and grassroots reach, the programme looks to bridge not just the digital divide, but the digital safety gap, ensuring that inclusion goes hand in hand with security.
