I&B Ministry
MIB cancels registrations of 114 MSOs in compliance crackdown
Total active MSOs now 756 after 1,159 exits since early 2025.
MUMBAI- MIB just pulled the plug on 114 more cable operators because when the regulator says “cut the cord,” it really means cut the cord. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has cancelled the registrations of 114 multi-system operators (MSOs) for non-compliance, denial of security clearance and suppression of critical information, continuing its year-long clean-up of India’s cable distribution ecosystem.
As of 28 February 2026, the total number of registered MSOs has fallen to 756 after 1,159 operators exited the market through cancellations, voluntary surrenders or lapsed licences. This follows a similar exercise in the previous year when, as of 31 March 2025, around 1,045 registrations had expired, been surrendered or cancelled, bringing the count down from higher levels to 845 before the latest round.
The sustained contraction signals a structural shift toward a more organised, compliant sector. Regulatory scrutiny has intensified on operational transparency, adherence to licensing norms and security clearances, effectively weeding out smaller or non-compliant players.
Industry observers view the moves as a deliberate push toward consolidation, where only operators meeting strict standards remain active. Additional rejections of over 14 applications last year on grounds such as non-payment of dues and suppression of information further underscore the ministry’s stricter stance.
In India’s cable TV landscape, where channels once multiplied faster than viewers could count them, MIB is quietly rewiring the entire grid, one cancellation at a time until only the cleanest signals survive.
I&B Ministry
Govt unveils AI training, creator platform and free TV upgrades
A national AI training push, a citizen creator platform and set-top-box-free television form the centrepiece of the information ministry’s digital content drive
NEW DELHI India’s union minister for information and broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw, has unveiled three initiatives in one go – an AI skilling programme, a homegrown creator platform and upgraded free-to-air television access – in a push to turbocharge the country’s media and digital content ecosystem before the competition does it for him.
The centrepiece is a National AI Skilling Programme, built in partnership with Google and YouTube, that aims to train around 15,000 creators, media professionals and young people – entirely free of cost. Delivered through the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, the programme runs in two phases: the first takes participants through foundational AI learning via online modules; the second puts them through advanced, hands-on training in animation, visual effects, gaming and media technology. The goal is unambiguous – make India a global hub for digital innovation, not merely a consumer of it.
The second initiative, MyWAVES, lands on the WAVES OTT platform as a space for ordinary citizens to create, upload and share content in multiple Indian languages. Short videos, episodic content, wider participation – the ministry frames it as a deliberate pivot from passive consumption to active creation, with the ‘Create in India’ challenge sitting at its heart. For the legion of aspiring creators outside Mumbai and Bengaluru, it could matter.
The third move is the most prosaic but perhaps the most consequential for the masses: televisions equipped with in-built satellite tuners and an advanced electronic programme guide (EPG) will allow viewers to watch DD Free Dish channels directly, without a separate set-top box. In remote and underserved areas where every rupee counts and infrastructure is patchy, removing that hardware barrier is no small thing.
Vaishnaw framed the package as an expression of prime minister Narendra Modi’s vision of democratising technology. “These initiatives align with making technology more affordable and accessible for citizens,” he said, pointing to the set-top-box rollout as proof that access need not come with a premium.
Information and broadcasting secretary Sanjay Jaju was characteristically policy-precise: “The three initiatives reflect a unified policy direction – building capabilities, expanding opportunities, and ensuring wider access to quality content.” YouTube India’s managing director, also present at the launch, struck a bullish note, arguing that artificial intelligence has the potential to unlock new opportunities for creators by enhancing storytelling and expanding audience reach.
The ministry situates all three moves within its broader ‘Orange Economy’ agenda – promoting the creative sector as an economic engine – while simultaneously reinforcing Prasar Bharati’s public broadcasting mandate and building a digitally skilled workforce for the media and entertainment industry.
India is not short of ambition when it comes to the creator economy. What it has historically been short of is infrastructure, affordability and scale. If 15,000 AI-trained creators, a multilingual OTT platform and a set-top-box-free television rollout can chip away at all three at once, Vaishnaw may have just handed India’s media sector its most consequential upgrade in years. The industry will be watching the execution just as closely as it applauded the announcement.
