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Digitisation to spur 30% growth for digital cable till 2015: Frost & Sullivan
MUMBAI: The tightening of Government rules for cable TV digitisation, along with possible increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows and consolidation, will prod over 30 per cent growth for digital cable till 2015, according to a Frost & Sullivan report on digitisation in India.
However, it is noted that several cable multiple-system operators (MSOs) in India are more than likely to miss the Government-proposed October-November 2012 digital deadline, which mandates use of set-top boxes (STBs) in metros.
Frost & Sullivan estimates the current penetration rate at a little over 25 per cent, or 7.7 million subscribers. India is the third largest market in cable TV penetration in the world with 85 per cent of total TV households, and 126 million cable subscribers.
According to Frost & Sullivan Research Director Vidya Nath, “The current shortfall will require an investment of INR 3,000 Crore, at least, in metros. Though current digital penetration data reports from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting are implausible, we are bullish on the future growth potential of the cable TV market in India.”
Cable digitisation in India holds immense business potential in terms of service and investment. It will unlock new revenue streams for the TV industry, with positive impact on the broadband market as well due to upcoming TV-Internet services, the research agency noted.
Multiple service offerings, spectrum efficiencies, and transparent system operations are expected to bring about a revolution in digitisation of television services in India, at the same time creating an advantage for broadcasters, MSOs, STB manufacturers, consumers, and stakeholders.
“While strong Government hand in regulatory mandates will drive faster penetration, the cable industry needs to take initiatives from within to speed-up implementation,” observes Nath. “Digitization bodes well for the cable and the broadcast industry in the long term. A more thorough path of evangelism and consolidation is what is required to encourage transition toward digitization through the local cable operators‘ (LCOs‘) network.”
At present, investment requirements for digitisation are very high in India and hence the process requires extensive subsidies to produce and purchase equipment, which eventually compels local cable operators to consolidate.
According to Frost & Sullivan, FDI in digitisation would result in higher returns and rise in broadcast, cable, and direct to home (DTH) services in India. Also, it will leverage the opportunity for technology support, subscriber acquisition, and strengthen smaller players.
Another area where Frost & Sullivan identifies prospect for digitisation is the approach toward switchover. The transfer process should be executed strategically, as the technology used for switchover in the first phase would act like a barometer and help determine quality of switchover in the entire region.
In India, the transition process in areas that solely rely on Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) should preferably begin with low-population densities. The switchover policy in India is expected to occur in four phases, with the final phase due for completion by 31 December 2014.
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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.
