MIB Cancels Registrations of 114 MSOs in Compliance Crackdown
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting cancelled the registrations of 114 multi‑system operators, bringing the total number of active cable operators in India down to 756 after 1,159 exits since early 2025. The move is part of a year‑long crackdown aimed at enforcing licensing, security clearances and transparency, effectively pushing the sector toward consolidation. In parallel, the government announced a National AI Skilling Programme for 15,000 creators, launched the multilingual MyWAVES OTT platform, and introduced free‑to‑air television that works without set‑top boxes. Together, these actions signal a coordinated effort to modernise India’s media landscape and expand digital participation.
Asia’s Sports Media Confab Pitches Its Tent in Singapore
Sportel Asia 2026 convened in Singapore, gathering rights‑holders, broadcasters, streaming platforms and tech vendors for two days of deal‑making. Sessions highlighted soaring rights fees, the surge of streaming services, and the fragmentation of Asian audiences. The agenda also tackled piracy’s...
India’s Summer Is No Longer a Season, It’s a Business Event: Anindya Ghosh on Summer Marketing
Anindya Ghosh, co‑founder of Sam and Andy, argues that India’s summer is no longer a three‑month season but a rapid, climate‑driven consumption event. He outlines the HEAT framework—Hyperlocal demand, Elastic consumption, Aspirational Bharat, and Time compression—to help brands adapt to...
OpenAI to Roll Out Ads for Free ChatGPT Users in the US
The Content India 2026 summit in Mumbai brought together creators, broadcasters and investors for a three‑day showcase of Indian television concepts, awarding £10,000 each to the winning projects Djinn Patrol and The Masala Quest. The event also released a Content India Trends Report...
Apollo Tyres Names Neha Agarwalla as Divisional Head – Marketing Comms & Sponsorships
Apollo Tyres has appointed Neha Agarwalla as divisional head of marketing communications and sponsorships for its Indian and Asian commercial business. Agarwalla, a former Paytm associate vice‑president with nearly two decades of media, marketing and strategy experience, will steer brand...
The Sleep Company Signs MS Dhoni as Brand Ambassador
The Sleep Company has appointed cricket legend MS Dhoni as its brand ambassador, launching the "India Vs Peaceful Sleep" campaign to spotlight chronic sleep deprivation and promote eight hours of quality rest, backed by its patented Smartgrid mattress technology. In parallel,...
Prime Video Unveils Biggest India Originals Slate Yet
Prime Video announced its largest‑ever Indian Originals slate, featuring close to 55 series and films across Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The lineup introduces diverse formats, including India’s first homegrown Hindi superhero series and new seasons of hit franchises like Farzi...
Maharashtra Panel Orders Lodha to Refund Rs 5 Crore to Homebuyers
The Maharashtra State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ordered Macrotech Developers (Lodha) to refund more than Rs 5 crore to a senior‑citizen couple after finding the developer guilty of deficient service and unfair trade practices. The ruling mandates repayment of Rs 2.83 crore plus 10%...
Brands Lag as Women Drive up to 85 per Cent of Buying Decisions
A HerKey‑Havas Creative India study finds women influence 70‑85% of purchase decisions in India, yet most brands lag behind. Only 14% of marketers consider themselves leaders in women‑centric marketing, and consistent women‑focused campaigns appear in just half to two‑thirds of...
Council of Europe to Unveil New TV and Streaming Co-Production Convention
The article argues that multilingual actors remain irreplaceable as artificial intelligence still fails to capture the cultural nuance, idioms, and emotional subtext essential to authentic performance. While AI can translate words, it cannot convey the layered meanings that actors embed...
Kamlesh Singh Receives Haldi Ghati Award From MMCF
India Today Group senior editor Kamlesh Singh was honoured with the MMCF Haldi Ghati Award in Udaipur, recognizing three decades of journalism, digital innovation and mentorship. The award, one of four national honours from the Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation,...
Mana Projects Names Ranbir Kapoor Brand Ambassador Amid Rebranding
Mana Projects, a Bengaluru‑based developer, has appointed Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor as its brand ambassador while unveiling a refreshed brand identity. The rebrand spotlights design‑led living, sustainability and community‑centric spaces aimed at millennial homebuyers. Mana plans to roll out an...
Karnataka Clears Rs 4,824 Crore Investment Projects Across 13 Districts
Karnataka's State Level Single Window Approval Committee cleared industrial projects worth Rs 4,824.31 crore across 13 districts, creating an estimated 14,525 jobs. The approvals cover 37 new proposals and two additional investments spanning IT infrastructure, aerospace, textiles, biogas, and hospitality. Large...
Namita Jadhav Steps Down as VP of Corporate Communications at JioStar
Namita Jadhav has stepped down as vice‑president of corporate communications at JioStar after a 1.5‑year stint, ending a career that includes nearly two decades at Disney and senior roles at Weber Shandwick. Her departure marks the loss of a seasoned media‑industry...
Mankind Pharma Highlights Rising Kidney Disease Risk on World Kidney Day
Mankind Pharma used World Kidney Day to spotlight the escalating burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in India, where an estimated 138 million people are affected—far above the global average of 10 percent. The campaign highlighted the disease’s silent progression, noting that...
Hyatt Reshuffles Leadership as Sunjae Sharma Moves to Asia Pacific Role, Vikas Chawla Named India President
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has reorganized its Asia‑Pacific leadership, moving Sunjae Sharma to a regional role based in Hong Kong and appointing Vikas Chawla as president of India and Southwest Asia. Sharma, who has driven Hyatt’s growth in India since 2002,...
BKT Tyres Launches ‘Elevate Your Drive’ Campaign with Ranveer Singh
BKT Tyres has launched the "Elevate Your Drive" campaign, fronted by Bollywood star Ranveer Singh, to announce its entry into India’s on‑highway tyre market. The TV‑led multimedia push highlights a purpose‑driven proposition built around confidence, progress and performance, and introduces...
Mayank Jain Joins Zee Media as Senior Vice President, Digital Ad Sales
Zee Media has appointed Mayank Jain as Senior Vice President of Digital Ad Sales, bringing over two decades of cross‑platform media experience. Jain previously drove digital revenue at TV9 and Times Internet, and will spearhead Zee’s push into the fast‑growing...
MIB Halts News TRPs for Four Weeks over Sensational US-Iran Conflict Coverage
India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ordered the Broadcast Audience Research Council to suspend television news ratings (TRPs) for four weeks, citing concerns that sensational coverage of the US‑Iran conflict is stoking public panic. The pause aims to remove the...
JioStar Removes 36 IPTV Apps From Google Play and App Store
JioStar secured the removal of 36 high‑download IPTV apps from Google Play and the iOS App Store during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, cutting off over 26 million global downloads and disrupting a piracy ecosystem. The move, backed by...
JioStar Blocks 420 Piracy Sites During T20 World Cup
JioStar launched a massive anti‑piracy campaign during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, blocking 420 illicit sites and removing 36 illegal IPTV apps that had amassed over 26 million downloads. The Delhi High Court injunction enabled the suspension of 141 piracy...
Newsrooms Rethink AI, Trust and Revenue Models
At the 22nd Video Broadcast and Broadband Tech Summit, Indian media leaders debated how AI, automation and shifting audience habits are reshaping newsrooms. Panelists highlighted AI’s role in proofreading, headline optimisation and large‑language‑model development to reduce costs and expand multilingual...
TRAI Outlines 6G, AI and Inclusion Roadmap for Broadcast Sector
At the 22nd Video Broadcast and Broadband Tech Summit, TRAI outlined a five‑year roadmap that couples 6G‑enabled gesture and voice TV with AI‑driven content agents, while stressing rural inclusion. The regulator highlighted the need to expand data‑centre capacity to roughly...
Powering the Great Tech-Celeration: Meet the Strategic Partners Behind VBS 2026
The 22nd Video Broadcast and Broadband Tech Summit (VBS 2026) will convene India’s media and technology leaders on 27 February in Mumbai under the theme “Managing the Great Tech‑celeration.” The event is co‑powered by JioStar and ZEE, with Amagi as...
Netflix Ad Revenue Set to Soar Past $8bn by 2030, Outpacing CTV Rivals: Warc
Netflix’s ad‑supported tier is on track to generate $8 billion in advertising revenue by 2030, far outpacing the broader connected‑TV (CTV) market. The company posted $1.5 billion in ad sales in 2025, more than 2.5 times its 2024 figure, and aims to double...
Sony Pictures Networks India Names Shruti Aneja as Lead – Agency Partnerships & Key Network Initiatives
Sony Pictures Networks India appointed Shruti Aneja as Lead – Agency Partnerships to deepen agency collaboration and drive ad‑revenue growth across its channel suite. Aneja, with 12 years at SPNI, will steer integrated sales and brand‑integration initiatives. Meanwhile, Raj Cooling Systems launched...
DD Free Dish E-Auction Revenue Dips to Rs 642 Crore as Slot Sales Fall
Prasar Bharati’s DD Free Dish completed its 8th e‑auction, collecting Rs 642 crore for FY26‑27, down from Rs 780 crore the prior year. Only 55 MPEG‑2 slots were sold, compared with 61 previously, reflecting a slimmer inventory and a revamped auction framework. The new...