I&B Ministry
MIB sets OTT accessibility rules, mandates captions and audio description
NEW DELHI: The government has asked OTT platforms to make their shows easier to watch and hear. A new set of accessibility guidelines from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting requires streaming services to add features for viewers with hearing and visual impairments.
The move follows the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and is meant to bring streaming closer to the promise of equal access. In simple terms, if a film or series is coming to an OTT platform, it should not arrive empty-handed. It should come with captions for those who cannot hear well and audio descriptions for those who cannot see clearly.
The guidelines ask platforms to provide at least one accessibility feature each for hearing-impaired and visually-impaired viewers. That could be closed captions, open captions, Indian Sign Language interpretation, or audio description. The aim is to make content understandable without turning the viewing experience into a technical chore.
There is, however, a long runway. Platforms have up to thirty six months from the date of the guidelines to ensure that all newly released content carries these accessibility features. Older titles in their libraries are not under strict timelines, but companies are encouraged to add features gradually.
The rules also go beyond the show itself. User interfaces, whether on mobile apps, smart TVs or websites, must be designed to work with assistive technologies. Accessibility labels such as CC for captions, AD for audio description and ISL for sign language must be displayed clearly so viewers know what to expect before pressing play.
Some content types get a free pass. Live events, music, podcasts, and short form content like ads are exempt because of practical challenges in real time captioning and description.
OTT publishers will also need to file accessibility conformance reports. The first report is due three years from now, followed by quarterly updates. Complaints from viewers will follow a three tier system, starting with the platform itself, moving to self-regulatory bodies, and finally reaching a government monitoring committee if needed.
For the streaming industry, the message is clear. Accessibility is no longer a nice extra tucked away in settings. It is fast becoming part of the main feature, and in a country where streaming audiences run into the hundreds of millions, that could make a very big difference to who gets to enjoy the show.
I&B Ministry
I&B ministry drives nearly 40 per cent of Rs 526 cr government ad outlay
Audio-visual spending jumps 39 per cent as print budgets shrink by over 40 per cent
NEW DELHI: The Union government sharply overhauled its advertising playbook in FY25, pouring money into audio-visual media while cutting print advertising by more than 40 per cent, according to ministry-wise expenditure data tabled in the Rajya Sabha.
Total government advertising spend across print and audio-visual media rose 6.5 per cent year-on-year to Rs 525.90 crore in FY25. But the topline increase masked a decisive reallocation of budgets. Spending on audio-visual media surged 39.1 per cent to Rs 406.12 crore, while print advertising collapsed to Rs 119.78 crore from Rs 202 crore a year earlier.
As a result, audio-visual platforms accounted for 77.2 per cent of total government ad expenditure, up from 59.1 per cent in FY24, underscoring a structural shift in how the state communicates with citizens.
The ministry of information and broadcasting was the single largest spender, accounting for Rs 208.35 crore, or nearly 40 per cent of the total outlay. Almost its entire budget Rs 205.13 crore, was directed towards audio-visual media, with print allocations slashed to just Rs 3.22 crore, down 92.9 per cent year-on-year.
The ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution ranked second, spending Rs 42.51 crore, virtually all of it on audio-visual platforms. Its AV budget ballooned more than eight-fold from Rs 4.90 crore in FY24, pointing to intensified public messaging on food security and consumer protection.
Together, the five biggest spenders: information and broadcasting, consumer affairs, defence, finance, and health and family welfare, accounted for nearly two-thirds of total government advertising expenditure.
The defence ministry stood out as an exception, retaining a print-heavy strategy. Nearly two-thirds of its Rs 31 crore ad spend went to print, with newspaper and magazine advertising more than doubling year-on-year, likely reflecting recruitment drives and ceremonial announcements.
For print publishers, the retreat of government advertising represents a fresh blow. Several ministries all but abandoned newspapers. The power ministry cut print spending by 95 per cent, environment and forests by 94.7 per cent, while the finance ministry reduced print allocations by nearly 70 per cent.
Meanwhile, television and digital video platforms emerged as clear winners. Health and family welfare more than doubled its AV spend to Rs 21.50 crore, agriculture raised its allocation to Rs 16.87 crore, and communications and IT quadrupled its budget.
Social media and digital platform advertising also gained traction. Spending rose to Rs 9.85 crore in FY25 and is budgeted at Rs 14.06 crore in FY26. Under the Central Bureau of Communication’s Digital Advertisement Policy, 2023, LS Digital and Interactive Avenues dominated allocations, with LS Digital alone receiving Rs 5.31 crore in FY25 and a sharply higher Rs 13.43 crore in FY26.
Media buyers say the numbers reflect a permanent recalibration rather than a one-off adjustment, as ministries prioritise reach, targeting and measurable outcomes, advantages print struggles to match.
