Indian Entertainment Industry Needs To Self-Regulate OTT Content: Piyush Goyal

Union minister Piyush Goyal has asked the Indian media and entertainment industry to self-regulate content published on over-the-top (OTT) platforms. 

Addressing the Big Picture Summit at New Delhi, Goyal said, “On the one hand, we talk of our culture, heritage, rich tradition, family value system and on the other hand, some of what we see on television and OTT platforms certainly is beyond what is ordinarily accepted standards within the Indian cultural landscape.”

The minister added that there should be a certain level of decency in the modern way of presenting content in India. The programmes telecasted on OTT platforms should not be disconnected from the Indian reality (culture). 

The development has come at a time when the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is about to roll out a consultation paper to build a regulatory framework for OTT platforms.

The regulatory body is presently considering whether to put communication and broadcasting applications under the purview of the same regulatory structure. 

It is prudent to note that the draft Indian Telecommunication Bill (2022) counts broadcasting and OTT platforms under telecommunication services. With this, the Department of Telecommunications holds the power to regulate telecom services. 

The minister stated that if the entertainment industry does not regulate OTT platforms, then there can be an uproar in Indian society, and in that case, the Centre would have to intervene and undertake regulation.  

He also asked the entertainment industry to introspect on nascent entertainment avenues including online betting gaming and decide up to what extent youngsters should be allowed to use these platforms. 

Appreciating the entertainment industry, he said that during the pandemic, the industry has kept Indian natives informed, connected, engaged and enlivened via quality content. 

He said, “The media and entertainment sector presented a remarkable opportunity for India but this opportunity can only be realized if the entire industry, its verticals and stakeholders come together to ideate and synergize.”

Earlier, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said that the Indian OTT market is expected to grow at 21% annually to become nearly $2 Bn by 2024. 

Meanwhile, a Statista report stated that the country’s OTT segment is pegged at $2.53 Bn in 2022. The sector is expected to grow into $3.76 Bn space by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 8.23% during 2022-27.

OTT players such as SONYLIV, ZEE5, Voot and Jio Cinema, among others are currently operating in the country.