I&B Ministry
Govt. clears Sai TV’s Rs 50 million FDI project
The government yesterday cleared 47 proposals for foreign direct investment (FDI) worth a total of Rs 5,080 million, among which is Sai Television’s Rs 50 million project for producing software for television programming and communication services.
The biggest proposal that the government cleared yesterday were Banc of America’s Rs 2350 million plan to launch a 100 per cent subsidiary non banking finance company (NBFC) for commencing financial investment, capital markets and merchant banking services, the Press Trust of India, quoting an official release, said.
The other being Mercedes Benz India’s proposal to increase foreign equity from 84 per cent to 100 per cent in its Indian operations at a cost of Rs 840 million.
It was reported in the beginning of February that Sai Televisions, a southern-based listed company engaged in the television software business, had entered into a partnership with the US based Pointclick, which specialises in long distance voice calls through a private worldwide network.
The partnership between the two companies involved a share swap under which Pointclick would subscribe to five per cent in equity capital of Sai Television of Rs 51.5 million while Sai Television would have a 50 per cent stake in Pointclick. These were subject to getting government clearance, among other formalities.
The two companies plan to build a network in at least eight cities in India of VOIP (voice over internet protocal) centres, including a super centre designed to handle a tremendous amount of voice traffic drastically reducing the cost of long distance phone calls within India and internationally.
All the operations with regard to Pointclick both in India and abroad will be handled by the management of Pointclick and the role of Sai Television will be to provide services and financial resources for the growth of the two companies.
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.
