Regulators
TRAI hosts ‘Responsible AI in Telecom’ session at India AI Summit
Chair Anil Kumar Lahoti stresses trust and guardrails as AI integrates into networks on 20 Feb 2026.
MUMBAI: AI in telecom isn’t just calling the shots anymore, it’s running the whole network show, and TRAI wants to make sure the director stays human. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) convened a dedicated session on “Responsible AI in Telecom” at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, held on 20 February at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi. The gathering drew senior executives from telecom operators, global tech giants like Ericsson, Qualcomm, and Nokia, industry bodies such as GSMA, government arms including DoT and C-DOT, plus international stakeholders for frank talks on weaving AI responsibly into networks and customer-facing services.
TRAI chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti kicked off proceedings with a clear message, “Artificial Intelligence is no longer a peripheral technology for telecom, it is becoming integral to how networks are designed, managed and experienced.” He stressed that as AI influences decisions at population scale, optimising 5G performance, predicting faults, slashing energy use, boosting customer experience, and cracking down on spam trust must be the cornerstone. Efficiency gains, he said, need transparency, accountability, human oversight, and firm guardrails to guarantee fairness, unbiased results, resilience, security, and public good.
Lahoti highlighted telecom’s role as India’s AI backbone, given the massive subscriber base, making AI-driven automation essential. He pointed to ongoing work like strengthened spam enforcement, AI filtering, and digital consent frameworks for verifiable commercial messaging. TRAI’s approach remains risk-based, favouring regulatory sandboxes to foster innovation while protecting consumers.
Two punchy panel discussions followed. “Preparing Telecom Networks for AI Era,” chaired by TRAI Member Ritu Ranjan Mittar, featured Ericsson CTO Magnus Ewerbring, Qualcomm VP Vinesh Sukumar, Nokia SVP Pasi Toivanen, and Tejas Sr VP Shantigram Jagannath. They unpacked AI adoption in networks, transparency in explainable systems, responsibility-by-design, environmental sustainability, security, and AI-native architectures reshaping 5G management.
The second panel, “Building Customer Trust through AI-driven Operations,” led by TRAI Member Dr M P Tangirala, included GSMA APAC head Julian Gorman, C-DOT CEO Rajkumar Upadhyay, Vodafone India CTSO Mathan Babu Kasilingam, and DoT TEC Sr DDG Syed Tausif Abbas. Topics ranged from accountability in automated decisions, transparency in customer engagement, ethical frameworks for spam prevention, and standards for an AI incident database especially vital for critical infrastructure plus responsible scaling in 5G/6G for fraud detection and analytics.
The session wrapped as a timely reminder, AI can supercharge telecom, but only if trust, collaboration between regulators, industry, and tech players, and balanced governance keep pace. In a country where networks touch billions daily, getting this right isn’t optional, it’s the line between seamless connectivity and digital chaos.
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.
