Government Unveils Digital Advertisement Policy To Reach Wider Audience

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has approved a new digital advertising policy, under which websites with a minimum of 2.5 lakh unique users per month, along with other digital platforms like OTT and podcasts, can now be enlisted for publicity campaigns.

In a statement, the MIB said that the new policy will help the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) reach a wider audience by leveraging the increasing digital media consumption in the country.

Besides rationalising the process of empanelling websites, the CBC now for the first time will also be able to channelise its public service campaign messages through mobile applications, the statement said.

With this, the government is looking to tap into the growing base of mobile users in the country. As per a report, in 2022, Indian users downloaded over 28 Bn apps on their phones, accounting for 5% of the 625 Bn global downloads, according to a report by analytics firm Data.ai, formerly known as App Annie.

The CBC operates under the MIB and is responsible for creating awareness and disseminating information about various programmes, schemes, and policies of the Government of India.

The ‘Digital Advertisement Policy, 2023’ also has a competitive bidding mechanism for rate discovery to enhance transparency and efficiency. Rates determined through this process will remain valid for three years and will be applicable to all eligible agencies.

The huge subscriber base in the digital universe, coupled with technology enabled messaging options through digital advertisements, will facilitate effective delivery of citizen centric messages in a targeted manner, resulting in cost efficiencies in public oriented campaigns, the statement added.

In recent years, the way audiences consume media has witnessed a significant shift towards the digital space, the MIB said. The Centre’s ‘Digital India’ programme has led to a huge growth in the number of people in the country who are now connected to the internet, social and digital media platforms.

The new policy was formulated after discussions with multiple stakeholders, the government said.

With the rise in internet penetration and improving accessibility of smartphones, digital consumption in the country has gone through the roof. India currently has 759 Mn internet users and this number is expected to rise to 900 Mn by 2025. As per a report, Indians spend 194 minutes on social media, 44 minutes on OTT, and 46 minutes online gaming daily.

The government is targeting to reach this increasing internet-savvy population with the new advertising policy.