iWorld
Trai extends date for stakeholder’s comments on proposed amendments to the telecommunication services interconnection regulations, 2022
Mumbai: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has extended the date for stakeholders’ comments and counter comments on the Draft Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) (Fourth Amendment) Regulations 2022, released on 9 September.
Last month Trai released a consultation paper on proposed changes to the interconnection regulation 2017. The regulator has amended the regulation to include digital rights management (DRM) system requirements
Also read : TRAI invites stakeholder’s comments on proposed amendments to the interconnection regulation 2017
The last date for receiving written comments from the stakeholders was fixed as 7 October 2022, and counter comments, if any, by 21 October 2022.
In view of this, it has been decided to extend the last date for submission of written comments up to 4 November 2022. Counter comments, if any, may also be submitted by 18 November, 2022. No further requests for extensions will be considered.
The consultation paper (CP) was prepared in response to the report submitted by the Trai committee formed to investigate DRM system issues. The Trai formed a committee in response to numerous comments and suggestions from stakeholders on DRM System issues.
Trai has proposed that IPTV service providers use a closed network to retransmit linear channels to subscriber-owned set-top boxes (STBs). It was expressly stated that IPTV would not include any electronic delivery for receipt and viewing via the internet/OTT. It also stated that IPTV linear services should not be made available over the Internet or public networks.
The regulator also stated that IPTV transmission must be done in multicast mode only, just like cable TV transmission, and that unicast mode is not permitted. STBs with recording capabilities must have a copy protection system in place, and recorded content cannot be transferred to another device.
iWorld
Micro-Dramas Surge in India, Redefining Mobile Content Habits
Meta-Ormax study maps rapid rise of short-form storytelling among 18–44 audiences.
MUMBAI: Micro-dramas aren’t just short, they’re the snack that ate Indian entertainment, and now everyone’s bingeing between the sofa cushions. Meta, in partnership with Ormax Media, has released ‘Micro Dramas: The India Story’, a comprehensive study unveiled at the inaugural Meta Marketing Summit: Micro-Drama Edition. The report maps how the vertical, bite-sized format is reshaping content consumption for mobile-first audiences aged 18–44 across 14 states.
Conducted between November 2025 and January 2026 through 50 in-depth interviews and 2,000 personal surveys, the research reveals that 65 per cent of viewers discovered micro-dramas within the last year proof of explosive adoption. Nearly 89 per cent encounter the format through social feeds and recommendations, making algorithm-driven discovery the primary engine rather than active search.
Key viewing patterns show a median of 3.5 hours per week (about 30 minutes daily) spread across 7–8 short sessions. Consumption peaks between 8 pm and midnight, with additional spikes during commutes and work breaks classic “in-between moments” that the format fills perfectly. Around 57 per cent of viewing happens in ambient mode (while doing something else), and 90 per cent is solo, enabling more intimate, personal storytelling.
Romance, family drama and comedy lead genre preferences. Audiences show growing openness to AI-generated content, 47 per cent find it unique and creative, while only 6 per cent say they would avoid it entirely. Regional languages are surging after Hindi and English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada dominate consumption.
Meta, director, media & entertainment (India) Shweta Bajpai said, “Micro-drama isn’t a passing trend, it’s rewriting the rules of Indian entertainment. In under a year, an entirely new category of platforms has emerged, built audience habits from scratch, and created a business vertical that is scaling fast.”
Ormax Media founder-CEO Shailesh Kapoor added, “Micro-dramas are beginning to show the early signs of becoming a distinct content category in India’s digital entertainment landscape. When a format aligns closely with how audiences naturally engage with their devices, it has the potential to scale very quickly.”
The study proposes ecosystem-wide responsibility, universal signposting of commercial intent, shared accountability among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents, built-in safeguards, and formal media literacy in schools.
In a feed that never sleeps and a day that never stops, micro-dramas have slipped into the cracks of every spare minute turning 30-second stories into the new national pastime, one vertical swipe at a time.
