#e4mExclusive:  M&E industry flags BARC, piracy concerns to I&B Secretary

Senior leaders from India's media and entertainment industry on Thursday urged the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to expedite policy interventions on issues ranging from the resumption of BARC television ratings to piracy, content infrastructure and the growth of the animation, visual effects, gaming and comics (AVGC) ecosystem, during a closed-door meeting with Information and Broadcasting Secretary Chanchal Kumar.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the BRICS WAVES Bazaar in Mumbai, was chaired by Gaurav Banerjee, Chairman of the CII Media & Entertainment Council and Managing Director & CEO of Sony Pictures Networks India. 

It was attended by Gunjan Soni, Co-Chairperson of the CII National Council on Media & Entertainment and Country Managing Director, YouTube India, Rajan Navani, Co-Chair of the CII National Council on Media & Entertainment and Founder, MD & CEO of JetSynthesys, along with senior executives representing broadcasters, digital platforms, gaming companies and other stakeholders across the media and entertainment value chain.

According to people present at the meeting, industry representatives raised long-pending concerns around the suspension of Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) ratings for television channels, strengthening anti-piracy enforcement, expanding digital and production infrastructure, and creating a more enabling policy framework for India's fast-growing AVGC sector.

Stakeholders also discussed broader ease-of-doing-business reforms for India's evolving media and entertainment ecosystem, including regulatory certainty and measures to improve the competitiveness of Indian content businesses.

"The discussion was constructive and solution-oriented. Industry leaders presented a unified view that predictable regulation, faster policy execution and stronger enforcement against piracy are essential if India wants to compete with global creative markets," said one industry executive who attended the meeting, requesting anonymity because the discussions were private.

Another stakeholder said the conversation reflected the industry's desire for greater institutional engagement with the government. "There was broad consensus that issues such as audience measurement, content protection and infrastructure development need timely resolution. The secretary heard the concerns patiently and assured participants that these priorities are receiving attention," the executive said.

According to participants, Chanchal Kumar acknowledged the industry's concerns and reiterated that the government is working closely with stakeholders to strengthen India's media and entertainment ecosystem. The secretary said the government remains committed to working with industry to position India as a global hub for entertainment and the creative economy, while encouraging continued collaboration between policymakers and businesses.

The interaction comes as the government sharpens its focus on expanding India's creative economy through initiatives such as WAVES, the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, India Cine Hub and programmes supporting creator skilling, startups and emerging technologies. 

Addressing the opening of the BRICS WAVES Bazaar earlier in the day, Kumar said India is seeking to build stronger institutional and commercial linkages across film, television, animation, VFX, gaming, music and digital media while deepening international partnerships.

Industry executives said Thursday's meeting signals continued engagement between policymakers and the private sector as India seeks to build a globally competitive media and entertainment industry while addressing structural challenges facing traditional and digital media businesses.