TRAI advocates fair play in broadcasting; warns of anti-competitive practices: Anil Kumar Lahoti of TRAI
Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti emphasizes regulatory flexibility, linear TV relevance, OTT expansion, and the “orange economy” vision at FICCI Frames 2025.
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The Indian media and entertainment (M&E) sector is on a fast-growth trajectory, with total contributions estimated at ₹2.5 trillion in 2024 and projected to cross ₹3 trillion by 2027 at a CAGR of 7%, according to Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Speaking at the 25th edition of FICCI Frames, Lahoti highlighted the need for collaboration, regulatory innovation, and technological adoption to sustain the sector’s momentum.
“Television broadcasting has undergone a phenomenal evolution over the last 25 years - from analog to digital, standard definition to 4K, and now to smart TVs that leverage internet streaming. These advancements have greatly enhanced viewer experience,”
Lahoti said, pointing out that the sector generated nearly ₹680 billion in revenue in 2024.
He noted that India’s OTT user base has surpassed 600 million, roughly 41% of the population, yet linear TV remains central to home entertainment. Of around 190 million TV households, 160 million maintain linear subscriptions, while more than 100 million households are yet to enter the TV ecosystem. “When they do, linear TV is likely to be their entry point,” Lahoti added.
The Chairman provided a snapshot of India’s broadcasting ecosystem: over 300 broadcasters, 900+ TV channels, 388 private FM radio stations, 800+ MSOs for DTH and HITS operators, 80,000+ local cable operators, 35 Doordarshan channels, and 591 All India Radio stations.
Despite this sprawling ecosystem, TRAI faces challenges in ensuring non-discriminatory, fair deals across the multi-player value chain.
Lahoti stressed the regulator’s dual role: promoting innovation to improve consumer choice while safeguarding smaller players from anti-competitive practices.
TRAI has pursued extensive amendments to the cable and TV broadcasting framework in 2024, simplifying compliance and removing prescriptive rules to enable a market-driven approach. Among TRAI’s recent initiatives, Lahoti highlighted:
- A revamped framework for broadcasting service authorization under the Telecommunications Act 2023, aimed at harmonizing India’s multiple licensing regimes.
- Regulatory provisions for ground-based broadcasters to use transmission media beyond satellites, facilitating greater flexibility.
- Recommendations for digital radio rollout in 13 major cities to alleviate financial stress in the FM radio segment.
The Chairman also underlined how technological advances, including wired and wireless broadband, cloud computing, and AI, are transforming content creation, distribution, and consumption. With India’s diverse linguistic and cultural landscape, he said, “Opportunities for content creators are immense.”
Invoking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent call at the Web Summit, Lahoti emphasized the promise of the “orange economy” powered by content, creativity, and culture. He urged creators to “dream big, tell India’s untold stories, and investors to back not just platforms, but people,” highlighting that while screens may be shrinking, the impact of content is becoming mega.
Concluding on a collaborative note, Lahoti said, “Evolution of technology and India’s socio-economic growth open enormous opportunities, but also new challenges. Collaboration among stakeholders is the best way to realise the vision of the orange economy.
TRAI is committed to enabling the orderly growth of the broadcasting sector and supporting its journey into a brighter future.”
