A regulatory tug-of-war is brewing in India’s media landscape over TV vs OTT Regulation. JioStar Vice-Chairman Uday Shankar has publicly opposed a common regulatory framework for television and digital platforms, cautioning that such an approach could “homogeneously destroy value” in both ecosystems. Speaking at WAVES 2025, Shankar urged policymakers to acknowledge the fundamental differences between traditional TV broadcasting and the digital content economy.

“Television is a household-centric, mature medium typically consumed on large screens, while digital content is personal, mobile, and still evolving,” said Shankar. “Trying to homogenise everything will only result in homogeneously destroying value from both.”
His remarks come at a time when the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) actively advocates for a level playing field between TV broadcasters and digital over-the-top (OTT) services. TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti, in his keynote at the same summit, stressed the need for regulatory parity, citing gaps in consumer protection, content oversight, and service accountability.
“While linear TV operates under a structured regulatory framework, OTTs are largely self-governed,” Lahoti noted. “This creates a disparity in compliance, fairness, and consumer safeguards.”
TV vs OTT Regulation : A Never Ending Debate
Currently, cable TV providers are subject to government-mandated programming codes and pricing oversight. In contrast, OTT platforms operate with minimal regulatory intervention, though recent legal proceedings, including a Supreme Court notice on content regulation, indicate tightening scrutiny.
Shankar, however, remains skeptical of applying the same yardstick to both. “If media companies haven’t innovated enough, regulators are even further behind. That’s the sad reality,” he stated candidly. His reasoning follows fears that excessive regulation may hinder innovation in the as-yet-emerging digital content industry, as well as place disproportionate compliance burdens on incumbent broadcasters.
With the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting creating a draft Broadcast Bill to unify the legal framework for all audiovisual content, the policy gap has widened. According to reports, a parliamentary committee demanded prompt action and inclusive consultations with media stakeholders.
Despite the government’s intent to bridge regulatory gaps, Shankar insists that differentiation, not standardisation, is the key to sectoral growth. “We should support each platform based on its needs. Treating all screens alike is not only impractical but dangerous,” he added.
The ongoing debate underscores a larger dilemma facing regulators worldwide how to ensure equitable oversight without throttling innovation in a rapidly evolving digital media environment.
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