India’s D2M push enters critical phase; Sanjay Jaju says trials on track
“Proof-of-concept studies are underway, led by IIT Kanpur. Each segment impinges upon the other segments, so stakeholder consultation is essential. Deliberations are currently on,” MIB Secretary said.
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Sanjay Jaju, Secretary at the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), said India’s Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) broadcasting project is progressing through active proof-of-concept trials, underscoring that stakeholder alignment and policy convergence will be central to its national rollout.
Speaking at the 12th CII Big Picture Summit 2025, he reiterated that India’s next leap in media transformation will depend on dismantling silos across policy, infrastructure and technology.
The technology, which allows broadcast video and multimedia content to be delivered directly to mobile phones without internet connectivity, is currently undergoing structured testing.
“Proof-of-concept studies are underway, led by IIT Kanpur. Each segment impinges upon the other segments, so stakeholder consultation is essential. Deliberations are currently on,” Jaju said.
His comments come as India targets scaling its global M&E market share from the current 2% to up to 5% over the next few years, supported by digital innovation and convergence.
D2M trials signal acceleration
As Storyboard18 reported earlier, India’s D2M rollout is expected to be ready for deployment by mid-2026, with commercial launches toward the end of next year.
The MIB has appointed Ernst & Young (EY) as project management consultant to design business and revenue models for the national roadmap. The initiative, led by Prasar Bharati, aims to broadcast high-quality video, emergency alerts, news and infotainment directly to mobile devices, operating much like FM radio for the digital era.
Collaborative trials with IIT Kanpur and Saankhya Labs are underway across over 19 cities, exploring cost-efficient transmission models for Tier-II and Tier-III regions. Successful integration of D2M technology into laptops by Intel and Tejas Networks has demonstrated its potential for education delivery without Wi-Fi or mobile data, a major breakthrough for rural access.
Govt to rollout D2M broadcasting by mid 2026, commercial services later
Industry experts say the model could relieve data-load pressure on telecom networks while giving broadcasters new monetization opportunities. Prasar Bharati already operates revenue auctions via DD FreeDish, which could evolve into hybrid subscription and premium content models for D2M, including sports and live events where latency and quality are critical.
Reshaping the power balance
Analysts believe the transition may shift control away from global intermediaries like YouTube and international streaming platforms. “D2M offers direct-to-consumer access without intermediaries that take a large revenue share and influence content visibility,” Parag Naik, EVP of Tejas Networks, told Storyboard18 earlier, calling it a major geopolitical and commercial advantage.
A high-level inter-ministerial committee including representatives from DoT, MeitY, MIB and the Department of Space continues to refine cross-sector coordination and regulatory alignment.
Jaju used the platform to underscore the urgency of an integrated development framework for the media ecosystem, saying growth cannot come at the cost of fragmentation.
“We have to look at all the shades of media and entertainment in their entirety. There will be losses to one segment, but gains to another. How do we harmonise and create a level playing field?”
Prasar Bharati gears up for massive D2M trials, bidding to begin in a year
Calling WAVES, the ministry’s recent creative-industry platform, a movement rather than an event, he reiterated that collaboration across verticals like OTT, film, TV, radio, gaming, AVGC and digital content is essential for India to achieve scale.
The theme of policy convergence also gained momentum at the event as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) called for a National Media & Entertainment Policy to power a $100-billion creative economy by 2030.
