I&B Ministry
MIB gives nod to RIL’s Viacom18 to transfer TV channel licences to Disney’s Star India
MUMBAI: The creation of a media monolith in India got another tick mark over the weekend.
Oil to telecom to retail giant the Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Ltd and its broadcast subsidiary TV18 Broadcast Ltd informed the Bombay stock exchange that the ministry of information & broadcasting (MIB) has given its offshoot Viacom18 Media the go-ahead to transfer its non-news and current affairs TV channel licences to the Walt Disney owned Star India.
The ministry issued the clearance on 27 September, stating that it is subject to complying of conditions laid down by the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
RIL and the mouse house had on 28 February announced that the two giants were “setting up a strategic joint venture to bring together the most compelling and engaging brands in India.”
The transaction had valued the joint venture at Rs 70,352 crore, with RIL pumping Rs 11,500 crore into it.
The two had also agreed to merge Viacom 18 Media’s assets with Star India with the transfer and vesting of the Media Operations Undertaking from Viacom 18 and Jio Cinema into Digital 18, a subsidiary of Viacom 18.
RIL owns a clutch of channels including the Colors and Sports 18 brands through Viacom18 as well as the OTT platform JioCinema whereas Star operates market leader Star Plus, several regional language channels and the OTT service Hotstar.
Under the finalised deal, RIL and its affiliates will hold a 63.16 per cent stake in the newly formed entity, which will manage two streaming services and 120 television channels. The Walt Disney Company will retain the remaining 36.84 per cent stake.
Permissions for the initiative got the CCI green signal, subject to certain conditions, on 28 August, while the Mumbai bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) gave its clearance on 30 August for the two to merge, subject to clearance for the transfer of licences by the MIB.
Post the merger, RIL director Nita Ambani will be appointed as the chair person of the new entity with Uday Shankar being the vice-chairman.
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: 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.
