TRAI’s Anil Kumar Lahoti on balancing innovation & regulations in India's evolving Broadcast sector

At the silver jubilee edition of FICCI Frames 2025, Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), reflected on how India’s media and entertainment (M&E) landscape has transformed over the past 25 years — shifting from analogue television to a digital, on-demand ecosystem.

Citing recent industry estimates, he noted that the sector contributed ₹2.5 trillion to the Indian economy in 2024 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7% to cross ₹3 trillion by 2027. Within this, the television and broadcasting segment alone generated nearly ₹680 billion in revenue last year.

The evolution of broadcasting

Reflecting on how far the broadcasting sector has come, Lahoti outlined its journey from analogue to digital transmission and from standard-definition to high-definition and now 4K video. “Digital broadcasting has opened up new frontiers in audio and visual quality, substantially enhancing customer experience,” he said.

He pointed out that the proliferation of smart TVs, coupled with advancements in broadband and smartphone technology, has reshaped viewing habits. “While the average screen size at home has grown to 40 or 50 inches, developments in 4G and 5G have opened up new frontiers for the media and entertainment industry,” Lahoti observed. According to an industry report, India’s OTT user base has already crossed the 600-million mark — representing roughly 41% of the country’s population.

Despite this surge, he emphasised that linear television continues to be a significant medium for home entertainment. India currently has around 190 million TV households, of which 160 million have linear subscriptions. More than 100 million households still do not own a TV, he said, and when they do, “they are likely to enter the ecosystem through linear TV.”

A complex but collaborative ecosystem

On the supply side, India’s linear television industry includes over 300 broadcasters and 900 channels, supported by 388 private FM radio stations and a wide range of streaming platforms. Distribution happens through more than 800 multi-system operators (MSOs), four DTH players, a headend-in-the-sky (HITS) operator, and an expanding IPTV ecosystem — complemented by around 80,000 local cable operators. Public broadcaster Doordarshan operates 35 free-to-air channels, while All India Radio runs 591 radio stations.

Lahoti noted that TRAI’s role spans policy formulation and regulation of linear broadcasting and radio, whereas internet-based content falls under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. This dual landscape, he said, creates unique regulatory challenges. “The key challenge is to strike the right balance between innovation and necessary regulation so that the broadcasting ecosystem remains competitive, inclusive, and responsive to emerging technologies and the dynamic needs of audiences,” he explained.

Reform and regulatory flexibility

To make the regulatory environment more flexible, TRAI introduced extensive amendments to the Cable and TV Broadcasting Framework in 2024. These changes removed several prescriptive requirements and simplified compliance norms, allowing a more market-driven approach. Lahoti said the goal was to promote “ease of doing business” and enable the industry to adapt faster.

He also cited TRAI’s recent recommendations, including a revamped framework for service authorisation under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, which seeks to harmonise the existing multi-licence regime into a simplified, authorisation-based structure. Another proposal would enable ground-based broadcasting using media other than satellite for television signal distribution.

TRAI has also submitted detailed inputs to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for India’s forthcoming National Broadcasting Policy. “We carried out extensive consultations with the industry to position India as a global hub for media and entertainment,” Lahoti shared.

To ease the financial stress faced by the FM radio sector, TRAI has recommended steps for its revival and recently advised on the introduction of digital radio broadcasting in the country, with an initial rollout across 13 A+ and A-category cities.

Looking ahead

Speaking about the future, Lahoti observed that the rapid expansion of broadband, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence is transforming how content is created, distributed, and consumed. He noted that India’s linguistic diversity — with over 22 major languages and hundreds of dialects — offers “enormous opportunities for content creators.”

Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address at the WAVES Summit, Lahoti recalled the PM’s emphasis on the ‘Orange Economy’ powered by content, creativity, and culture. “The screen may be getting smaller, but the message is becoming bigger,” he quoted.

He concluded by stressing that collaboration among all stakeholders — regulators, broadcasters, distributors, and creators — is essential to harness these opportunities. “As a sectoral regulator and policy enabler, TRAI remains committed to working with the industry to ensure its orderly growth and to help realise the vision of the Orange Economy,” said Lahoti.