eNews
TRAI reverses course on radio migration fees
DELHI: India’s telecoms regulator has U-turned on how private radio broadcasters should pay to shift to digital, ditching a convoluted averaging mechanism in favour of simpler reserve prices.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRA) issued a corrigendum on 27 October revising recommendations it sent to the ministry of information and broadcasting just three weeks earlier. The original policy, dated 3 October, had proposed that when cities failed to attract bids for new digital frequencies, migration fees for existing broadcasters should be calculated by averaging prices from similar-sized cities—but only if at least two cities in that category had received successful bids.
The authority has now binned that approach. Upon review, regulators spotted that the averaging formula “could lead to certain aberrations in the migration amount vis-Ã -vis reserve price” in cities drawing no bids. Since reserve prices emerge from a formal valuation model and represent the minimum auction amount anyway, they make a more sensible baseline.
The ministry had sought the regulator’s advice in April 2024 on framing a digital broadcast policy for private radio operators. Under the revised scheme, existing broadcasters wanting to simulcast in digital mode will pay an amount equal to the reserve price for new frequencies, minus the proportionate one-time entry fee already paid for their remaining licence period.
The climbdown suggests India’s radio digitisation may prove trickier than expected—particularly if multiple cities fail to attract fresh bidders, leaving regulators scrambling for fair pricing formulas that don’t distort the market
eNews
Swiggy sees record orders during India vs New Zealand T20 final
Chicken biryani tops match-day menu as fans order 7,500 times per minute at peak.
MUMBAI: India’s T20 final didn’t just break stumps, it broke Swiggy’s delivery records, proving cricket fans celebrate victories with plates, not just flags. Swiggy, India’s leading on-demand convenience platform, reported a sharp spike in food orders during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final between India and New Zealand. On 8 March 2026, overall orders rose 23.2 per cent year-on-year compared with the same date in 2025, driven by fans turning living rooms into mini stadiums complete with match-day feasts.
Key highlights from the evening:
- Orders during peak match hours (7–10 pm) were 2.1 times higher than pre-match levels.
- The highest order rate hit 7,500 orders per minute at 19:45.
- Chicken biryani reigned supreme as the most-ordered dish, followed by masala dosa, chicken fried rice, garlic breadsticks and paneer butter masala.
While metros such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad led volumes, the cricketing fever spread nationwide. Among emerging cities, Thiruvananthapuram, Surat and Rajkot recorded the strongest order growth. Smaller markets including Shillong, Agartala and Port Blair also showed significant appetite, underlining the expanding footprint of quick-commerce food delivery across India.
The surge reflects a growing trend of pairing major sporting events with doorstep delivery, turning big matches into shared, convenient celebrations. In a night where every boundary mattered, Swiggy proved the real MVP might just be the delivery partner who kept the snacks and the vibes flowing without missing a single wicket.
