India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is seeking stakeholder input after releasing the draft Telecommunications (Television, Radio and Associated Services) Rules, 2026 (draft rules) that aim to consolidate regulatory guidelines.
The draft rules will incorporate all the previously issued guidelines into the Telecommunications Act, 2023 that had replaced the Telegraph Act, 1885.
The previous guidelines proposed for inclusion include:
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- Policy Guidelines for Uplinking and Downlinking of Satellite Television Channels in India
- Guidelines for obtaining a licence to provide Direct-to-Home (DTH) Broadcasting Services in India
- Guidelines for providing Headend-in-the-Sky (HITS) Broadcasting Services in India
- Policy Guidelines on Expansion of FM Radio Broadcasting Services through Private Agencies (Phase III)
- Revised Policy Guidelines for setting up Community Radio Stations in India
- Guidelines for provisioning of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) Services
The draft rules aim to bring the ease of doing business into the sector, while harmonising the existing framework.
Under the draft rules, licences and permissions granted under the older regulatory framework have the option to migrate to the new framework and continue their operations until migration is completed.
Authorisations of TV channels and their distribution services, teleport, TV news agency, and private and community radio services are also covered in the draft rules.
