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Channels free to decide gap between ad breaks
NEW DELHI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has softened its stance on the gap between advertisement breaks during television programmes.
The regulator has proposed to delete the clause that required the gap between the end of one advertisement session and the commencement of next advertisement session to be not less than 15 minutes. In the case of broadcast of a film or a movie, the time gap between ad breaks was 30 minutes.
Now, television channels can decide on their own the advertisement breaks they wish to take during programmes.
TRAI has proposed this in a draft amendment to the regulation titled The Standards of Quality of Service (Duration of Advertisements in Television Channels) Regulations, 2012. The regulations were notified on May 14, 2012.
Trai has proposed amendments to the regulation despite a stay by the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT on a plea by broadcasters.
Trai also stated that it will issue orders to ensure compliance of the provisions of the regulations.
Trai has also made it mandatory for broadcasters to submit the details of advertisements carried on its channel within 15 days from the end of a calendar quarter in a specified format. The first such report will have to be furnished to Trai for the quarter ending 31 December 2012, by 15 January 2013.
The authority contended that the need for regulation aroused from the fact that the duration of advertisements carried during the programmes in the TV channels is closely related to the quality of viewing experience of the consumers.
The quality of viewing experience of the consumers is akin to the quality of service provided by the service providers to the consumers, Trai said.
The advertisement regulations have been fiercely opposed by the broadcasters arguing Trai has no authority to issue such orders particularly since the issue is already covered in the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994.
The broadcasters contend that the Indian broadcasters‘ heavy reliance on advertising revenues is due to the “non-addressable nature of the cable TV networks,” and “gross under declaration of the subscriber base”. They also favoured self-regulation rather than the Trai forcing it on the broadcasters particularly at a time when content costs are going up.
Contesting Trai‘s premise that such a regulation is needed since the country is moving towards a digitised environment, the broadcasters say that regulation should happen after cable digitisation becomes fully addressable wherein income arising out of subscription revenue sees a significant rise.
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Inshorts Group chief Deepit Purkayastha joins IAB video council for Southeast Asia and India
The co-founder and chief executive of the short-form content platform has been inducted into the IAB SEA+India Video Council, giving India a stronger voice in shaping digital video frameworks
NOIDA: India has long been the world’s most chaotic, multilingual and mobile-first digital market. Now, one of its most prominent short-video executives is getting a seat at the table where the rules are written.
Deepit Purkayastha, co-founder and chief executive of Inshorts Group, has been selected as a member of the IAB SEA+India Video Council for 2026. Run by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, the council brings together senior leaders from Southeast Asia and India to shape standards, best practices and measurement frameworks for the fast-evolving video and digital advertising ecosystem.
The timing is pointed. According to the IAMAI-Kantar Internet in India Report 2025, over 588 million Indians are now consuming short-video content, with growth increasingly driven by rural and non-metro audiences. India’s active internet user base has crossed 950 million, with 57 per cent of users now coming from rural markets. Yet the frameworks that govern how video consumption is measured and monetised were largely designed for single-language, Western markets and have struggled to keep pace with the scale, diversity and complexity of India’s digital landscape.
Purkayastha is no stranger to these debates. He already serves on the AI Council at Marketing and Media Alliance India and as co-chair of the Digital Entertainment Committee at the Internet and Mobile Association of India. His induction into the IAB SEA+India Video Council extends that influence into the global video standards arena.
Inshorts Group sits squarely at the intersection of these forces. Its flagship product, Inshorts, India’s highest-rated short news app, reaches 12 million active users with 60-word news summaries. Its sister platform, Public App, reaches 80 million monthly active users across more than 700 districts and 12 languages, serving communities that most global platforms barely register.
Purkayastha said the opportunity was about building something more representative. “India today sits at the centre of the global video ecosystem, but the frameworks that define how value is created and measured have not always kept pace with the realities of our market,” he said. “Being part of the IAB SEA+India Video Council is an opportunity to contribute to a more representative and future-ready approach, one that accounts for diversity in language, context, and user intent.”
As a council member, Purkayastha will contribute to shaping regional standards across video advertising, measurement and platform governance, with a focus on frameworks that are native to India’s multilingual, mobile-first ecosystem rather than imported from global benchmarks designed elsewhere.
For years, India has been content to play by rules written for other markets. Purkayastha’s induction is a signal that it is done waiting to be consulted and ready to start writing them.
