For a long long time, the discussions about the regulation of the OTT industry have kept coming and going like a shooting star. But, it looks as if there is a solid conclusion that will be like this for a time to come.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has some good news for OTT platforms. In its recommendations for the “National Broadcasting Policy-2024,” TRAI has suggested that there is no need to regulate OTT platforms in the country. Yes, NO NEED FOR REGULATION.
The telecom regulator believes that the broadcasting sector has huge potential to contribute to the growth of the economy and quite obviously, regulating it would be just dumb. A few days back we had a very senior but retired officer calling for a total ban on OTT platforms and Social Media. Interestingly, we have this news now.
TRAI stated, “There is no requirement for establishing a converged legal, administrative, regulatory, and licensing framework.” Instead, the focus should be on promoting ease of doing business (EoDB) in the sector by simplifying the process of seeking permissions.
To help the OTT industry flourish, TRAI has made several policy recommendations. It has shared a roadmap for the next 10 years.
TRAI’s recommendations include promoting quality content for television and OTT services by supporting the growth of Indian content, both locally and globally. The policy talks about boosting Indian content production through films, animation, visual effects, gaming, and music.
So the tables turned quite a bit. When people were calling out bans and regulations then the government actually promoted EoDB. Another lesson that tells us how everything boils down to economy.