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Channels may be pulled out genre-wise from analogue before 1 Nov
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: The multi-system operators (MSOs) are considering the option of pulling channels out of the analogue cable system genre-wise in phases, ahead of the digitisation deadline of 1 November in the four metros.
The meeting was held under the aegis of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry officials along with the broadcasters.
The ‘knock-out‘ channels would be available for consumers only through digital set-top boxes (STBs). The idea is to give digitisation a push and make consumers realise that they will have to buy digital STBs to view television programmes after 31 October in the metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
“We discussed about how to make digitisation a reality this time. One of the ideas discussed was removing channels genre-wise before 1 November,” a source said on condition of anonymity.
The government has mandated the shutting down of analogue cable TV by 31 October midnight in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.
“The idea has been conceptually appreciated broadly by the broadcasters and the MSOs. The I&B officials were listening to the suggestions,” the source added.
What this means in effect is that a particular genre of channels will not be available on analogue cable in the four metros in different time periods before 1 November.
“This will push consumers to buy STBs. The start would be in some genre, followed by others in succession. This way the broadcaster will also not feel that it is being punished unfairly,” the source said.
The implementation of this will, however, not be easy. “Carrying this on the weaker genres may be easy, though it will require some convincing from the ‘victim‘ channels. The tougher genres will resist. Let us also not forget that we are approaching the festive season and there is a general slowdown in the market,” said a media analyst.
Meanwhile, the Government today reiterated that there would be no further extension of the sunset date for switching off analogue systems and asked broadcasters to spell out their strategies for going digital.
I&B Ministry officials today held a meeting with representatives of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and stressed that digital STBs must be in place in every cable home by 31 October.
The broadcasters were asked to get back to the Ministry on the exact situation on the STBs seeded by the MSOs they work with.
Apart from I&B Joint Secretary Supriya Sahu, Director (Broadcast Policy and Legislation) Rejji Mohan was also present on behalf of the Ministry.
The meeting was attended by Multi Screen Media CEO Man Jit Singh, Dish TV MD Jawahar Goel, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) MD and CEO Puneet Goenka, Den Networks CEO S N Sharma and President (Legal & Regulatory) at Zee Network A Mohan.
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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.
