Collaboration among stakeholders is the best way forward: TRAI chief Anil Kumar Lahoti

Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), delivered a keynote address on 'Collaborative Growth of Broadcasting Sector' at the 25th edition of FICCI FRAMES, emphasizing the need for synergy between regulators, industry, and government to propel India's media and entertainment landscape forward.

Speaking at the Silver Jubilee edition themed "A Silver Jubilee of Vision, Voices & Creativity," Defining India's media future: MoS Dr L Murugan, Sanjay Jaju, and Anil Kumar Lahoti lead policy voices at FICCI Frames 2025. Lahoti highlighted the sector's remarkable transformation over the past quarter-century and its significant economic contribution.

"The M&E sector contributed Rs 2.5 trillion to the Indian economy in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7% to cross Rs 3 trillion by 2027," Lahoti stated, noting that television and broadcasting alone generated nearly Rs 680 billion in revenue last year.

The TRAI Chairman outlined the evolution of broadcasting from analog to digital transmission, and from standard definition to 4K video quality. He emphasized that despite OTT platforms crossing 600 million users, linear TV remains vital with 190 million TV households, of which 160 million have linear subscriptions.

"More than 100 million households still do not own a TV, and when they do, they are likely to enter the ecosystem with linear TV," Lahoti observed, underscoring the continued relevance of traditional broadcasting.

Addressing regulatory reforms, Lahoti highlighted TRAI's consultative approach. "TRAI has carried out extensive amendments to the Cable and TV Broadcasting Regulatory Framework in 2024. Several prescriptive regulatory requirements have been eliminated, giving flexibility to the industry to adopt a market-driven approach."

He outlined key recent recommendations, including a simplified authorization framework under the Telecommunication Act 2023, ground-based broadcasting infrastructure, and measures to alleviate financial stress in FM radio broadcasting. Notably, TRAI has recommended beginning digital radio broadcast services across 13 A-plus and A-category cities.

Invoking the Prime Minister's vision from the Wales Summit, Lahoti emphasized the importance of the Orange Economy. "The Hon. Prime Minister highlighted the importance of Orange Economy, powered by content, creativity and culture. He underlined that the screen may be getting smaller, but the message is becoming bigger."

Concluding his address, Lahoti stressed that "collaboration among different stakeholders is the best way forward to seize this moment and realize the vision of Orange Economy. As sectoral regulator and policy enabler, TRAI is committed to work with the industry to enable its orderly growth."