Media & Entertainment Updates

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) continues its comprehensive efforts to modernize India's broadcasting regulatory framework, with the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024, remaining a significant point of discussion and anticipation within the media and entertainment industry. While the Bill has undergone several iterations and stakeholder consultations since its initial public draft in November 2023, its final form and parliamentary progression are still under active consideration.

As India routinely engages in its vibrant democratic process, the role of media ethics, particularly during elections, becomes paramount. In June 2025, the Press Council of India (PCI), the statutory watchdog for print media, re-emphasized its crucial advisories to newspapers and news agencies, focusing squarely on maintaining journalistic integrity amidst electoral fervor.

In a significant move poised to reshape digital financial advertising in India, Meta (parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) announced in June 2025 that it will require mandatory verification for all advertisers running securities and investment-related ads targeting users in India. This crucial step, with compliance enforcement beginning as early as July 31, 2025, is a direct response to growing regulatory pressure from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to curb misleading financial promotions and protect investors.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has ushered in a significant regulatory shift impacting digital advertising and the burgeoning financial influencer (finfluencer) landscape. Announced in June 2025, a new framework is poised to redefine accountability for those promoting financial products and advice online, with key measures set to become effective from July 2025.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has consistently been proactive in shaping the digital content landscape. In June 2025, it continued to reinforce its directives to Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms and their self-regulatory bodies, re-emphasizing the critical need for content producers to adhere to Indian laws and the Code of Ethics prescribed under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021).

A significant decision from the Supreme Court of India in has cemented the procedural backbone of statutory licensing within India's copyright regime. The Apex Court, in Next Radio Limited & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors., unequivocally upheld the constitutional validity of Rule 29(4) of the Copyright Rules, 2013, sending a clear message to the broadcasting industry about their obligations when utilizing copyrighted content.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) took a significant step in June 2025 by publishing the Draft Copyright (Amendment) Rules, 2025. These proposed rules aim to fundamentally transform how royalties are collected for certain creative works in India, signaling a strong move towards greater digitization and transparency.