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Digital broadcasting gains focus in ITU’s world telecom meet
NEW DELHI: A strategic plan adopted at the 5th ITU World Telecommunication Development Conference in Hyderabad will give high priority to assist administrators, regulators, broadcasters and other stakeholders in introducing digital broadcasting and providing assistance to developing countries on spectrum management.
The Hyderabad Action Plan recognized that the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting is a key development in facilitating the dissemination of information and freeing up spectrum. New telecommunication and ICT services, including satellite radio communications, will help connect rural and isolated communities and meet the needs of indigenous communities.
While satellite digital sound and television broadcasting services have been introduced worldwide, terrestrial digital television and sound broadcasting is becoming a global priority.
Wireless broadband networks and next-generation networks (NGN) foster the widespread use of affordable and accessible telecommunications and ICTs.
The Hyderabad Action Plan adopted at the conclusion of the Conference outlined a road map to foster the global development of information and communication technology (ICT) networks and services over the next four-year cycle. The roll out of next-generation networks (NGN) and increased access to broadband services, wireless technologies and the Internet were recognised as catalysts to achieve the broader development goals.
The Hyderabad Declaration states that broad access to telecommunications and ICTs is essential for the world’s collective economic, social and cultural development, and the building of a global Information Society. This access brings new opportunities for interaction amongst people, for sharing of the world’s knowledge resources and expertise, for transforming people’s lives, and for contributing to the global development agenda.
The Conference (WTDC-10), held from 24 May until 4 June in Hyderabad, was attended by 924 delegates, including 758 government delegates from 138 countries and 6 representatives from Palestine, 88 public and private sector representatives from 28 companies, 16 representing telecommunication-related entities from 7 countries and 56 representatives from 25 regional and international organisations.
Conference chairman P.J. Thomas, who is Secretary in the Department of Telecommunications, said the increasing role of ICT in the life of the common man cannot be overemphasized. Keeping in view the latest technological developments in ICT, the Hyderabad declaration adopted by WTDC-10 will play a decisive role in the development of the ICT sector across the world, especially in developing countries.
The Hyderabad Action Plan consists of a comprehensive package that will promote the equitable and sustainable development of telecommunication and ICT networks and services worldwide.
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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.
