India's Broadcasting Sector in Turmoil: Regulatory Overhang, FDI Plunge Mark 2025

• India's information and broadcasting sector faced significant turbulence in 2025 due to frequent regulatory interventions, unresolved policy disputes, and structural shifts.
• Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the sector plummeted by 31% in Q1 FY25, reflecting heightened investor caution amid policy uncertainty.
• Key regulatory challenges included TRAI's interconnection amendments, the resurfacing of NTO 4.0 debate, and new OTT accessibility guidelines.
• A major dispute arose from MIB's demand for Rs 16,000 crore in licence fees from DTH operators like Dish TV, Tata Play, and Airtel Digital TV, based on AGR.
• Despite challenges, Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) broadcasting progressed towards a 2026 rollout, and TRP reforms were proposed to modernize TV audience measurement.

Why It Matters: 2025 saw India's broadcasting sector grappling with regulatory flux, investor caution, and major licence fee disputes.