Applications
Channels to switch off analogue from 1 Nov
GOA: A dual feed running on analogue and digital cable TV networks in the four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai will not be easy this time after the deadline of 31 October is crossed due to three main reasons, according to two senior media executives.
Broadcasters will have the responsibility of shutting down analogue decoders in the four metros that fall under digitisation in the first phase. “This was not there in 2003 (when CAS, or conditional access system, was mandated) and broadcasters were not part of it,” explained Hathway Cable & Datacom CEO K Jayaraman.
Also, violation of the government order for digitisation will amount to criminal violence. “The police commissioner has been given the powers this time and violators can be arrested,” Jayaraman added.
The third hurdle is that the television ratings measurement of programmes and channels on analogue cable TV networks in the four metros will stop from 1 November. “TAM (the TV ratings agency) will stop reporting ratings from analogue cable in these four cities,” said NDTV Ltd. affiliate sales and network distribution head Rahul Sood.
The broadcasters and the multi-system operators (MSOs) are also genuinely interested in digitisation this time around. “They are talking of implementing it (digitisation) correctly and discussing ARPUs (average revenue per user). This is a starting point for the industry and not the end line. The ecosystem is also in place,” said Exponentia Capital principal Neeraj Bhatia.
The industry experts were also bullish about investors buying into cable and DTH companies. According to Hathway Cable & Datacom chief financial officer G Subramaniam, cross-media restrictions would not act as a hurdle to investments in the distribution sector.
“Once the first phase of DAS (digital addressable system) takes off on 1 November, investors will breathe easy and will eye the market. Capital will come as soon as DAS commences, and cross-media restrictions should not come in the way,” said Subramaniam.
Subramaniam felt wireline delivered better than wireless and, hence, cable was the way to go ahead.
Other speakers at a session on “Markets for Media” at the Indian Digital Operators Summit (IDOS) 2012 echoed the view that getting investors to invest would not be a problem after DAS actually gets implemented in the four metros from 1 November. IDOS is organised by indiantelevision.com in partnership with Media Partners Asia.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) was well aware of the potential of DAS for penetration of broadband throughout the country and, thus, it would do its utmost to make this a success.
Bhatia agreed and said the future of digital TV was bright. He, however, warned about problems of execution and that investors needed to be patient as this was an investment for the long run.
He felt that convergence will be the real winner in this march of technology so that people can switch from one option to another. This, he felt, will attract more capital. New players will emerge to look after billing and other related services.
Sood felt that a broadcaster could launch more niche and subscription-led channels as bandwidth opens up. “Broadcasters will pay one-time carriage as launch expenses and then build on good content so that viewers want to watch the channel,” he said.
Enam Asset Management Vice President – Research Rishi Maheshwari said investors felt better because there was a government regulation, but there will be slow penetration and investors should not look forward to early profitability. Investors tended to look for free cash flow and positive situations as they had to go back to shareholders.
Applications
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.
