Draft Telecommunications (Television, Radio and Associated Services) Rules, 2026: What Broadcasters Need to Know

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has released the Draft Telecommunications (Television, Radio and Associated Services) Rules, 2026 under the Telecommunications Act, 2023. The draft proposes a common regulatory framework for a wide range of broadcasting services, including television channels, DTH, HITS, IPTV, teleports, television news agencies, private radio and community radio. In practical terms, the Government is looking to bring these services under a more organised authorisation system instead of dealing with them through separate sets of guidelines.

Businesses & companies should remember that these rules are still in draft form and are not yet in force. The Gazette was published on 2 September 2026, and stakeholders can submit comments until 2 October 2026. The rules will apply once a proper update is received by the Central government.

For broadcasting businesses, this means there is no need to treat every proposed condition as an immediate legal requirement. However, operators and new applicants should study the draft now because it gives a clear picture of the authorisation, net-worth, fee, security, reporting and operational framework the Government proposes to use.

Draft Broadcasting Rules 2026 at a Glance

In addition to changing the name of an already established license, the document recommends a licensing regime that has very specific criteria for eligibility, security clearances, spectrum, operational conditions, payments, reporting, transfer, inspections and enforcement.

What Are the Draft Telecommunications (Television, Radio and Associated Services) Rules, 2026?

The proposed rules are meant to bring several broadcasting activities under the framework of the Telecommunications Act, 2023.

At present, different broadcasting services have historically been governed by separate policy guidelines. A television channel, DTH operator, community radio station or FM radio operator may therefore need to refer to different sets of sector-specific documents.

The draft tries to place many of these requirements in one rulebook. It defines broadcasting-related services, creates different authorisation categories and then lays down common conditions as well as separate requirements for each service.

The rules define a television channel as a linear broadcast where programmes are transmitted in a fixed sequence decided by the broadcaster. IPTV is described as a television channel distribution service using Internet Protocol over a closed and managed network. At the same time, a teleport is a satellite earth-station facility from which multiple television channels may be uplinked.

This matters because businesses need to identify their exact activity before deciding which authorisation or regulatory route applies.

Why Has the Government Proposed These Broadcasting Rules?

The main reason given by the Ministry is consolidation.

Telecommunications Act, 2023 was enacted in place of the older Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. Television, radio, and all other aspects of broadcasting managed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting have to comply with the new Act.

According to the Gazette, the draft rules are intended to combine several existing television and radio guidelines into one system and simplify the regulatory structure. The Ministry says the proposed arrangement is meant to harmonise the existing regime and support ease of doing business.

For businesses, the practical value is easier to understand: instead of looking at several separate policy documents for basic authorisation, security, reporting and financial conditions, much of that material could sit under one set of rules.

That does not mean every service will have identical requirements. DTH, television channels, teleports, private radio and community radio still have their own eligibility, fees and operating conditions.

Which Existing Broadcasting Guidelines Are Being Consolidated?

The Gazette identifies six major guidelines being brought into the proposed framework.

This consolidation is one of the central features of the proposal. Businesses operating across more than one broadcasting segment may particularly benefit from having common provisions in one place, although service-specific conditions will still need separate attention.

Who Will Come Under the Draft Rules?

The proposed rules apply to persons seeking an authorisation covered under Chapter 2 and to persons already holding such authorisations.

The draft also states that the relevant provisions of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 and the rules and regulations made under it will continue to apply.

So the proposed MIB framework should not be understood as removing every other broadcasting or telecom compliance requirement.

A business may still need to consider other laws and approvals depending on the service, such as foreign investment requirements, Cable Television Networks legislation, spectrum provisions, security clearance and Department of Space requirements.

Who Is Exempt from Authorisation?

Schedule 1 provides a narrow exemption.

The entities expressly exempt from the authorisation requirement are:

• Parliament of India; and 
• Prasar Bharati. 

The exemption should not be extended to other entities merely because they are government-linked or publicly funded.

The draft separately provides that Central Government, State Governments, local authorities and certain statutory or government-established bodies seeking to provide broadcasting services will generally do so through Prasar Bharati, except where community radio is provided after obtaining the required Central Government authorisation. 

What Types of Broadcasting Authorisations Are Proposed?

The draft does not create one general broadcasting licence. Different services continue to have different regulatory conditions.

Television Channels

A television channel can be a news or non-news channel and can use satellite or terrestrial transmission.

An applicant must generally be a company or LLP. It must comply with applicable foreign investment rules, satisfy the relevant minimum net-worth requirement, and meet security conditions.

The applicant must also deal with the channel name and logo. The draft requires a registered trademark or an acceptable no-objection arrangement in specified circumstances. It also requires the applicant to hold relevant marketing or distribution rights.

Direct-to-Home Service

DTH falls within television channel distribution services. It covers the retransmission of television channels or the transmission of platform services directly to users through satellite transmission without routing the signal through another broadcasting network or cable television network.

DTH applicants must be companies and must meet FDI, net-worth, security, and cross-holding requirements.

Head-end-in-the-Sky Service

HITS is also treated as a television channel distribution service. It covers satellite-based retransmission of channels or platform services to cable operators for further transmission to users, and may also include passive infrastructure facilities for multi-system operators.

The draft places restrictions on cross-holdings involving television channels, DTH and HITS. Several of these limits are set at 20%.

IPTV

IPTV is handled differently.

An entity intending to provide IPTV may do so after submitting the prescribed declaration that it holds either an internet service authorisation under the applicable telecommunications rules or an MSO registration under the Cable Television Networks framework.

This distinction is important. Businesses should not automatically assume IPTV follows the same application route as DTH or a television channel.

Teleport

A teleport applicant may be a company or LLP. It must comply with applicable foreign investment provisions, Schedule 2 net-worth requirements, and security conditions. 

News Agency for Television

A television news agency applicant may be a company or LLP, but the draft also requires accreditation from the Press Information Bureau along with FDI and security compliance. 

Private Radio Service

A private radio applicant must be a company.

The largest Indian shareholder must hold at least 51% of total equity, subject to the detailed method of determining the relevant Indian shareholding. The draft also contains restrictions involving advertising agencies, religious or political bodies and overlapping radio ownership in the same service area.

Private radio authorisation would continue to involve an auction. The Government proposes to issue a notice inviting applications for auction, with the auction determining the non-refundable one-time entry fee.

Community Radio

Community radio follows a different model. The draft proposes authorisation on a first-come, first-served basis.

Eligible applicants include Section 8 companies, eligible charitable societies, public charitable trusts, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, self-help groups, farmer producer organisations and specified educational or government-recognised institutions.

The applicant should not be established for profit or principally for religious or political purposes. Certain applicants must also hold a NITI Aayog unique identification number.

The applicant must ordinarily have worked for community development in the proposed service area for at least three years before applying. A person cannot hold more than six community radio authorisations.

Minimum Net Worth Required Under the Draft Rules

Net worth can become an early entry barrier, so a business should check Schedule 2 before spending time and money on an application.

Private radio has an additional regional calculation system. For multiple cities in one region, the net worth linked to the highest-category city in that region is used. Where cities fall in different regions, the relevant amounts are added, subject to a maximum requirement of 10 crore rupees. 

For a new applicant, this is one of the areas where a Broadcasting Authorisation Consultant in India can be useful before filing. The structure, number of services, city categories, and applicant's financial position should be checked before committing to the application route.

How Will the Broadcasting Authorisation Application Process Work?

The draft provides a fairly clear application-to-authorisation path.

An applicant will need to file in the form and manner specified by the Central Government, pay the applicable processing fee, and provide details such as its registered address, shareholding pattern, and key managerial personnel or governing body members.

The Government may ask for further information. If the applicant fails to provide the required information within 90 days, the application may be rejected after an opportunity to be heard.

Once the application is complete, it may be sent to the relevant Central Government ministries for security and site-related clearance. The Government may also inspect the physical premises where necessary to verify the claims made in the application.

If the applicant is considered eligible, a Letter of Intent may be issued through the portal.

Letter of Intent and Final Authorisation

The Letter of Intent is an important stage because it tells the applicant what financial requirements must be completed before the authorisation is granted.

Depending on the service, this may include the entry fee, annual authorisation fee, performance bank guarantee, security deposit or registration fee.

The proposed validity of the Letter of Intent cannot exceed 60 days. If the applicant does not make the required payments within the stated period, the Letter of Intent lapses and the application stands rejected.

If the above-mentioned requirements are met and the clearance has been obtained, then the authorization will be given via the authorized portal. This will contain the authorization number, effective date, validity period, scope, and area of service.

How Long Will a Broadcasting Authorisation Remain Valid?

The difference in the starting point matters. Some authorisations are linked to the date operations begin, while the news-agency period begins from the date of authorisation.

Renewal of Broadcasting Authorisation

An eligible authorised entity may apply for renewal at least 120 days before expiry and pay the applicable renewal processing fee.

Renewal is not automatic. The Government can look at the law and policy in force at the time, security clearances, compliance with authorisation conditions and the applicant's regulatory history.

The draft specifically refers to repeated breaches, including Programme Code and Advertising Code violations. Where an entity has been adjudicated for such breaches more than five times, that history can affect renewal.

A renewed authorisation would generally remain valid for another 10 years. Private radio is expressly excluded from renewal under this provision.

What Happens to Existing Broadcasting Licences?

The draft contains a migration route for specified existing licences, permissions and registrations issued under the older Telegraph Act framework.

Migration is specifically contemplated for eligible permissions relating to:

television uplinking and downlinking; 

•    DTH; 
•    HITS; and 
•    community radio. 

An eligible entity may seek migration during the validity of its existing permission. Before doing so, it must clear pending dues and applicable interest and provide proof of payment.

No application processing fee is proposed for migration.

Once migration is completed, the earlier licence, permission or registration ends and the new authorisation takes its place.

If an eligible entity does not migrate, its existing permission may continue on the original terms for the remainder of its validity. Still, it will not be renewed under the older framework. Existing FM radio permissions are specifically kept outside this migration provision and continue on their original terms.

For existing broadcasters, a migration decision should therefore not be treated as a simple paperwork exercise. Businesses should compare their existing permission conditions with the proposed authorisation structure before making a decision.

General Compliance Duties for Authorised Entities

The draft proposes common duties that would continue throughout the authorisation period.

An authorised entity would need to maintain the required approvals and clearances, comply with applicable Programme and Advertising Codes and follow directions issued by the Central Government.

An authorisation itself cannot simply be sub-let, sub-leased or assigned.

The draft does allow businesses to use their own broadcasting network, share another authorised entity's broadcasting network through mutual agreement and hire or lease broadcasting equipment on a long-term basis. However, sharing infrastructure does not transfer regulatory responsibility. Each authorised entity remains responsible for its own compliance.

Broadcasting Authorisation and Spectrum Are Not the Same

This is one of the most important points in the entire draft.

Getting an MIB authorisation does not automatically give the operator the right to use spectrum.

Where spectrum assignment is required, the authorised entity must make a separate application under the Telecommunications Act. Unless exempt, the application for spectrum assignment must be made no later than 30 days from the grant of the authorisation.

Any company planning a new television, radio or satellite broadcasting operation should therefore budget and plan for authorisation and spectrum as separate regulatory steps.

Security Clearance Requirements

Security clearance continues to be a central requirement.

The authorised entity, its key managerial personnel and governing body members must remain security-cleared throughout the authorisation period.

Before appointing key managerial personnel, the entity must submit its details through the designated portal for security clearance.

For news channels, television news agencies, television channel distribution services and private radio, the majority of directors, partners and other key managerial personnel must be resident in India.

Foreign personnel engaged for installation, maintenance or operation of broadcasting networks also require security clearance before deployment. Details of foreigners or NRIs engaged for more than 60 days in a year, or employed regularly, must also be disclosed.

Monitoring, Inspection and Record Keeping

The draft expects broadcasters to maintain records that can be checked later.

Programme recordings, including advertisements, must generally be retained for 90 days from broadcast. If the programme becomes part of a complaint, dispute, inquiry or court proceeding, the recording must be preserved until the matter is finally concluded.

The Central Government can inspect broadcasting premises, equipment, networks and recordings. Usually this would follow notice, but the draft allows inspection without notice where the Government records reasons and believes advance notice would defeat the purpose.

The authorised entity must provide reasonable access and assistance during such inspection.

Reporting Requirements for Broadcasting Companies

Several corporate changes have specific reporting timelines.

Businesses should not treat these as routine Companies Act updates only. Under the proposed broadcasting framework, the same corporate event may also create an MIB reporting or approval requirement.

Television Channel Operating Requirements

A television channel would generally need to start operations within one year of spectrum assignment and report the commencement to the Government within 15 days.

A channel is expected to remain continuously operational. If it remains non-operational for more than 60 continuous days, the broadcaster must inform the Government and explain why. If non-operation exceeds 90 continuous days, the authorisation may be treated as withdrawn, subject to an opportunity of hearing.

The draft also proposes that television channels broadcast at least 30 minutes each day between 6:00 AM and 11:00 PM IST on themes of national importance and social relevance. These include education, agriculture, health, science, women, weaker sections, environmental and cultural heritage, animal welfare and national integration. The Government may exempt specified channels by notification.

Changes from news to non-news, non-news to news, satellite to terrestrial transmission or vice versa, or a change in teleport require an application and applicable fee.

Changes to a channel name or logo also require an application supported by the required trademark or NOC position.

Requirements for DTH, HITS and IPTV Operators

Television channel distribution services must generally begin operations within one year of spectrum assignment, where applicable, and remain operational throughout the authorisation period.

They may retransmit only authorised television channels. The draft also requires encryption and conditional access arrangements and provides for mandatory retransmission of channels that the Government may notify.

IPTV providers have additional duties. They must keep programme and advertisement recordings for 90 days, inform the Government if the underlying internet service authorisation or MSO registration is suspended, revoked, curtailed or surrendered, and use a Digital Rights Management system that provides conditional-access functionality to control piracy.

Platform services also need registration. The number of platform services cannot exceed 5% of the total channel carrying capacity of the broadcasting network.

Teleport Operator Requirements

A teleport must generally start operation within one year of spectrum assignment and report commencement within 15 days.

A teleport can only uplink channels authorised under the proposed rules. If the Government withdraws, suspends, revokes or cancels a television channel's authorisation, the teleport must stop uplinking it.

International turn-around satellite services can be provided to foreign television channels after portal registration and payment of the applicable fee. However, the foreign channel's signal cannot be distributed in India unless that channel is authorised for distribution here.

Private Radio Service Requirements

Private radio would be required to begin operation within 24 months of spectrum assignment and report commencement within 15 days.

It must remain operational and cannot remain closed, continuously or intermittently, for more than 180 days during any continuous 365-day period.

The service must be free-to-air. The operator must retain full editorial and operational control and ensure that at least 20% of its daily broadcast is local content.

The proposed rules also require prior Central Government approval before fixing or changing the channel identity.

Private radio cannot generally transmit news, except unaltered Akashwani news under the conditions provided in the draft. It can, however, broadcast specified information treated as non-news, such as traffic, weather, local sports, cultural events, examinations, employment information and civic announcements.

Community Radio Requirements

Community radio is designed around local service rather than commercial broadcasting.

An authorised station must generally start operation within one year of spectrum assignment and operate for at least two hours every day throughout the validity of its authorisation.

The service must be free-to-air.

Advertising and announcements relating to local events, businesses, services and jobs are permitted for up to 12 minutes in each hour of broadcast.

Every community radio operator must also establish an Advisory and Content Committee consisting of members of the local community, with 50% women members.

The station cannot generally broadcast news programmes. It may carry unaltered Akashwani bulletins and translate them into a local language or dialect where needed, provided the bulletin is not distorted or edited.

Transfer of Broadcasting Authorisation

The draft allows certain authorisations to be transferred, but not freely.

For private radio, the lock-in period is three years from commencement. For television channels and teleports, it is one year.

After the lock-in period, transfer may be considered in cases such as a court- or tribunal-approved merger, demerger or amalgamation, transfer of business or an intra-group transfer.

Prior Government approval remains necessary.

The incoming entity must independently satisfy eligibility, net worth, and security conditions.

News agency and community radio authorisations are stated to be non-transferable. Television channel distribution-service authorisation also cannot be transferred without prior Government approval.

Broadcasting Fees Proposed Under Schedule 3

The Government fees vary considerably depending on the service.

Television Channels

The draft also provides a security deposit equal to twice the relevant annual authorisation fee.

DTH

The proposed DTH application processing fee is 10,000 rupees. The one-time non-refundable entry fee is 10 crore rupees. The annual authorisation fee is 8% of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) or 10% of the entry fee, whichever is higher.

The security deposit is 5 crore rupees or an estimated authorisation fee equal to two quarters plus other unsecured dues, whichever is higher.

HITS

For HITS, the application fee is 10,000 rupees, and migration is proposed without an application fee. The one-time entry fee is 10 crore rupees, while the performance bank guarantee is 5 crore rupees.

Teleport

For a teleport, the application processing fee is 10,000 rupees. The proposed performance bank guarantee is 25 lakh rupees per teleport per satellite, while the annual authorisation fee is 2 lakh rupees per teleport per satellite. The proposed security deposit is 4 lakh rupees per teleport per satellite

The fee for uplinking a live event by a foreign television channel or entity is 1 lakh rupees per day.

Private Radio

A private radio application carries a proposed processing fee of 50,000 rupees. The one-time entry fee is to be determined through auction. The general annual authorisation fee is 4% of AGR. For specified States and Union Territories, the draft proposes 2% of AGR for the first three years and 4% afterwards.

Community Radio

The application fee for a new community radio authorisation or renewal is proposed at 2,500 rupees. Migration carries no processing fee. The proposed performance bank guarantee is 25,000 rupees.

Civil Penalties and Repeated Non-Compliance

Schedule 4 does not simply place every violation in the same category.

It uses categories such as Non-severe, Minor, Moderate and Major, with the classification increasing for repeated violations in many cases.

Examples include delayed shareholding or FDI reporting, appointment of key managerial personnel without required clearance, unauthorised DSNG use, uplinking an unauthorised channel, transferring an authorisation without prior approval, offering platform services without registration, and fixing a private-radio channel identity without approval.

For several of these breaches, the category moves from Minor to Moderate and then Major as violations repeat. 

Businesses should not read this table as stating a fixed rupee penalty for every listed violation. Schedule 4 primarily classifies the seriousness of the breach for the adjudication framework.

Adjudication and Appeals

The Central Government may appoint an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary as an Adjudicating Officer.

A separate Designated Appeals Committee may consist of officers not below the rank of Additional Secretary.

Before deciding on a breach, the Adjudicating Officer can issue a notice, call for a written reply, and conduct a hearing. The draft states that an inquiry should be handled as quickly as possible, with an endeavour to complete it within six months after the hearing notice.

An appeal against an Adjudicating Officer's order can be made within 30 days, accompanied by a fee of 10,000 rupees. The Designated Appeals Committee is also expected to try to dispose of the appeal within six months. 

Surrender, Suspension and Revocation of Authorisation

An entity planning to surrender its authorisation must apply at least 60 days before the proposed surrender date. It must clear pending dues and provide at least 60 days' advance notice to affected users and other concerned authorised entities.

Once surrender is accepted, the security deposit can be returned after adjusting outstanding dues. The Government may also suspend, curtail or revoke an authorisation following the procedure under the Act.

Revocation may arise where information or documents submitted during the application were false, or where the authorised entity is ordered into liquidation or winding up. In the false-information situation, the draft provides for a show-cause notice with up to 21 days to reply. 

How Will These Draft Rules Affect Broadcasting Businesses?

The effect will differ from one operator to another.

For new applicants, the safest approach is to review the financial and ownership requirements before preparing an application. A company may technically want to start a broadcasting service but still fail to meet the net worth, equity, security, or sector-specific conditions.

Existing operators face a different question: whether and when migration to the proposed authorisation framework makes commercial and regulatory sense.

Benefits of the Proposed Unified Broadcasting Framework

The strongest feature of the draft is that it brings many scattered rules into one place.

For businesses, this can make it easier to understand who can apply, how long an authorisation lasts, what financial conditions apply and what happens after authorisation. A common digital portal may also make filings, directions and regulatory forms easier to manage.

The draft further puts net-worth requirements, fees, transfer provisions and civil-penalty classifications into defined schedules. That gives applicants a clearer starting point when planning a broadcasting project.

However, the advantage of having one rulebook should not be mistaken for easier compliance in all instances. There will still be some companies that will require significant financial investment, security clearance, and spectrum licensing.

What Could Become Difficult for Broadcasters?

The main challenge is that a unified rulebook does not remove service-specific compliance.

A DTH operator still faces a large entry fee and AGR-linked payments. A television channel needs to handle trademark, programme, operational, and reporting conditions. Private radio remains connected with auction and Indian ownership rules. Community radio has detailed eligibility and local-community conditions.

Security clearance also runs throughout the framework. For businesses with several channels or more than one authorisation, maintaining separate accounts and fee calculations can create additional administrative work.

The proposed rules may therefore make the legal framework easier to find, but businesses will still need strong internal compliance systems.

Are the Draft Broadcasting Rules a Right Decision or an Additional Burden?

The answer is not completely one-sided.

The proposed consolidation itself is sensible from a regulatory-management point of view. A business should be able to find its basic authorisation conditions without moving between several old guidelines.

At the same time, the proposed framework is not “light-touch regulation.” Financial requirements, security clearances, programme conditions, reporting and service-specific duties remain substantial.

The real test will be whether the final rules reduce procedural duplication in practice, not simply whether multiple existing guidelines are placed inside one document.

What Should Broadcasting Businesses Do Now?

Since the rules are still in draft form, the business needs to pay attention to preparation rather than implementing all proposals as mandatory.

A very helpful internal assessment in such a case would be to analyze the new authorization type, current license status, shareholding/foreign investment structure, Schedule 2 net worth, Schedule 3 fees, security clearance, spectrum requirements, reporting, conditions of operation, and transition path for existing permits.

Businesses should also identify provisions that could materially affect their operating cost or corporate structure and consider whether those issues should be raised during the consultation period.

Once the final rules are notified, the final wording should be compared with the draft before taking any filing, migration, or restructuring decision.

How Corpseed Can Help with Broadcasting Authorisation and Compliance

Getting a broadcasting approval is not only about filling out an application. A business also needs to check its eligibility, ownership structure, net worth, security requirements, applicable fees and the rules for the type of broadcasting service it wants to provide. Corpseed can support both new applicants and existing broadcasters with these regulatory requirements.

1. Eligibility and Authorisation Check

Corpseed can first understand the broadcasting activity of the business and help identify the right authorisation category. This also includes checking the basic eligibility and regulatory conditions that may apply.

2. Application and Document Support

Corpseed can assist with the preparation and review of the application, including:

• Application preparation
• Document checking
• Company and shareholding details
• Regulatory filing support

3. Net Worth and Shareholding Review

Different broadcasting services may have different net-worth and ownership conditions. Corpseed can help businesses check the required net worth, FDI position and shareholding structure before filing the application.

4. Security Clearance Support

Security clearance may be required for directors, key managerial personnel, partners or governing body members. Corpseed can help organise and review the required details and supporting documents for this process.

5. Support for Different Broadcasting Services

As a Broadcasting Authorisation Consultant in India, Corpseed can provide support for:

• TV channel authorisation
• DTH compliance
• Teleport authorisation
• Private radio compliance
• Community radio authorisation

6. Migration, Renewal and Ongoing Compliance

Existing broadcasters may also need help with migration of old permissions, renewal preparation, changes in shareholding or management, reporting requirements and regular compliance checks.

Corpseed can help businesses understand which requirements apply to their broadcasting activity and prepare the required regulatory work in a proper manner. The final authorisation and security clearance, however, remain subject to approval by the Ministry and other concerned Government authorities.

Key Takeaways

• The draft Telecommunications (Television, Radio and Associated Services) Rules, 2026 have been proposed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting as per the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
• These draft rules include provisions for television channels, Direct-to-Home, Hybrid IPTV, Teleport, television news agencies, private radio services and community radio.
• The proposal brings several broadcasting requirements under one common authorisation framework instead of keeping them spread across different guidelines. 
• It sets out rules on eligibility, minimum net worth, security clearance, fees, spectrum, reporting, operations and transfer of authorisation. 
• Existing eligible licence or permission holders may be able to move to the new authorisation system through the proposed migration route. 
• Existing private FM radio permissions are treated separately and would continue under their existing terms. 
• The rules are not final yet. Stakeholders can submit comments and suggestions until 2 October 2026. 
• Businesses should review the draft now, but final compliance steps should be taken only after the Government notifies the final rules and their commencement date.