Author: Akanksha Nagar

MeitY report on Digital Competition Bill awaited; stakeholders demand startups, MSMEs exemption

More than 70% of the companies leverage generative AI as an opportunity (Image source: Moneycontrol)

Between March and June 2024, two rounds of consultations were held on draft Digital Competition Bill—one conducted by Ministry of Corporate Affairs and other by Ministry of Electronics and IT. The draft DCB, released for public consultation last year, has received over 100 suggestions and is currently under review.

Prasar Bharati-SHABD free subscription extended till March 2026 to help small media cos

PB-SHABD was launched in March 2024 as a shared feed service to provide access to logo-free, daily news items across various formats, including video, audio, text, and photos to media organisations.

Leveraging a robust network of over 1500 reporters, correspondents, and stringers, supported by 60 edit desks, PB-SHABD offers the latest news from every corner of India. The content provided is logo-free, and no credit is required on using content from this platform.

Search and seizure operations at Amazon, Flipkart warehouses by BIS for selling unsafe products

In a recent raid conducted on March 7, 2025 at an Amazon warehouse in Lucknow, Bureau of Indian Standards seized 215 toys and 24 hand blenders, all lacking mandatory BIS certification.

To crack down on e-commerce platforms selling unsafe, non-certified products, the Bureau of Indian Standards has carried out search and seizure operations at multiple warehouse locations of leading e-commerce platforms.

South India and content partnerships to drive Pay TV margins in 2025

BrandPulse report underscores the need for dynamic and engaging content that can quickly capture and hold audience attention.

Pay TV channels in the country are facing tight revenue margins as content acquisition and operational costs continue to rise, prompting them to raise concerns with government and regulatory authorities. However, southern India with lower ARPUs, along with youth-centric content and partnership opportunities, could offer much-needed relief.

BREAKING: Ashwini Vaishnaw announces $1 billion fund to boost creators’ economy

Highlighting the sector's growth, Vaishnaw noted that the media and entertainment (M&E) industry expanded by over 8% in 2023, with 70% of this growth attributed to new media.

Speaking at Global Media Dialogue ahead of the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), Minister of I&B Ashwini Vaishnaw shared that country’s first Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) will be established in Film City, Mumbai for which Rs 391 crore has already been sanctioned.

Govt mulls fast track court mechanism to resolve cyber crime: MeitY tells Parliamentary Committee

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) published a report on 'AI Governance Guidelines Development' for public consultation on January 6, 2025.

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology briefed the parliamentary panel on tackling cyber crime effectively and expeditiously in the country, and preventive measures taken to ensure that cyber frauds are held under check.

DPDPA Rules may hinder MSMEs from leveraging digital tools for marketing and growth

Many MSME members have expressed to ISF that the current overall regulatory framework for personal data and non-personal data is overly restrictive, creating compliance burdens that hinder their ability to market effectively, engage with customers, and grow their businesses. (Image source: ISF)

Given the spate of legislative and regulatory developments impacting data collection and processing in India, including draft DPDPA rules and draft Digital Competition Bill, MSMEs fear overly restrictive policies may limit ability to leverage digital tools for marketing, customer engagement, and business growth.

1,159 MSOs licenses cancelled; only 843 registered with I&B Ministry as of Feb’25

In August 2024, there were over 850 registered MSOs and a year before that, the number stood at 998. (Representative image by Erik Mclean via Unsplash)

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, as of February 28, 2025, 114 Multi-system operators (MSOs) applications have been cancelled/rejected and 1045 MSOs registrations have been surrendered/expired.