I&B Ministry
Govt. invites applications for e-auction of first batch of phase III FM Radio stations
NEW DELHI: A notice was issued by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) inviting applications for the first batch of phase III FM auctions for 135 stations in 69 cities which already have FM channels.
In addition, e-auction will be held in eight new cities in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeastern states.
While the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) was issued on 2 March, the pre bid conference will be on 10 March, the last date for seeking clarifications on NIA will be on 11 March, clarifications to NIA on 16 March, last date for submission of applications on 23 March, publication of ownership details of applicants on 7 April, Bidder Ownership Compliance Certificate on 10 April, pre-qualification of bidders on 17 April or completion of requisite formalities whichever is later and a mock auction within a week of that and the main e-auction a week thereafter.
The Ministry has placed the full details of the formalities on its website mib.nic.in and has appointed M/s C1 India Private Limited as the ‘Auctioneer’ to advise the Government on the Auction. Administration of the e-auction shall also be the responsibility of M/s C1 India Private Limited.
It has also placed on the website the reserve price of each city and station for e-auction.
The Auction shall be a Simultaneous Multiple Round Ascending (SMRA) e-auction, conducted over the internet. Bidders will be able to access the Electronic Auction System to be used for participation in the auctions using web browsing software: Internet Explorer 11.x, or Mozilla 34.x or Google Chrome 37.x.
The EAS is a designated computer resource for the receiving of electronic records under the provisions of Section 13(2) of the Information Technology Act 2000, as amended from time to time.
Prior to the auction, bidders will have to procure Class-III Digital Signature Certificate(s) (DSC) for signing and encryption issued by any valid Certifying Authority (approved by Controller of Certifying Authorities) in India which is mandatory for accessing the Electronic Auction System (EAS). The details of the licensed Certifying Authorities (CAs) are available on www.cca.gov.in.
Winning Bidders of FM channel(s) in each city shall be determined in the first stage, a Channel Allocation Stage, which will allocate FM channel(s) simultaneously for all the cities. The second stage, a Frequency Allocation Stage, will identify specific frequencies for the winning bidders.
I&B Ministry
Government sets up AI governance group to steer policy
AIGEG to align ministries, assess jobs impact, guide AI deployment.
MUMBAI: If artificial intelligence is the engine, the government is now building the dashboard and making sure everyone reads from the same screen. The Centre has constituted a new inter-ministerial body to coordinate India’s approach to AI, formalising a key recommendation from its governance framework and the Economic Survey. The AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG), set up by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, will act as the central platform to align AI-related policy across ministries, regulators and departments, an attempt to bring coherence to what has so far been a fragmented and fast-evolving landscape.
The group will be chaired by union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, with minister of state Jitin Prasada as vice chairperson. Its composition reflects both technological and economic priorities, bringing together the principal scientific adviser, the chief economic adviser, and the CEO of NITI Aayog, alongside key secretaries from telecommunications, economic affairs and science and technology. A representative from the National Security Council Secretariat is also part of the group, while the MeitY secretary will serve as member convenor.
At its core, AIGEG is designed to do two things: coordinate and anticipate. On the policy front, it will review existing regulatory mechanisms, issue guidance across sectors and ensure companies remain compliant with evolving legal frameworks. Beyond that, it will oversee national initiatives on AI governance, with a focus on enabling responsible innovation rather than merely regulating it.
The economic dimension is equally central. The group has been tasked with assessing how AI-driven automation could reshape jobs identifying which roles are most at risk, where those impacts may be geographically concentrated, and whether technology will augment or replace human labour. Based on these assessments, it will develop mitigation strategies and transition plans, signalling a more proactive stance on workforce disruption.
In parallel, AIGEG will work with industry stakeholders to chart a long-term roadmap for AI adoption, categorising use cases into “deploy”, “pilot” or “defer” buckets depending on readiness factors such as data availability, skill levels and regulatory clarity. The aim is to move from broad ambition to structured execution deciding not just what can be built, but what should be built now.
The group will function as the apex layer in India’s AI governance architecture, supported by a Technology and Policy Expert Committee that will track global developments, emerging risks and regulatory priorities. Together, the two bodies are expected to shape both the pace and direction of AI adoption in the country.
In a landscape where technology often outruns policy, the creation of AIGEG signals an attempt to close that gap ensuring that India’s AI journey is not just rapid, but also coordinated, accountable and economically grounded.
