The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has today released a consultation paper on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limits in various segments of the broadcasting sector in India.

The Authority has, from time to time, given its recommendations on the subject of FDI in various segments of broadcasting sector, either suo motu or on request of the Government. The last recommendations were given by the Authority on 3rd June 2011. In line with these recommendations of TRAI, the FDI limits and its approval route for various segments of the broadcasting sector were revised by the Government on 20th September 2012.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has sent a reference dated 12th July 2013, to the Authority, indicating that the Government is re-examining the current FDI policy and liberalizing the limits/caps with a view to easing FDI inflow. In this context MIB has requested the Authority to examine the FDI limits of various segments in the broadcasting sector and to furnish its recommendations.

As part of the consultative process, a consultation paper has been uploaded on the TRAI website seeking comments/view of the stakeholders. The Authority has, while formulating this consultation paper, taken into account the growing convergence between the broadcasting and telecom sectors, and has been broadly guided by the principles of ensuring a level playing field between competing technologies and maintaining consistency in policy across sectors. The consultation paper discusses the revision of FDI limits as well as the approval route for the FDI in the carriage services (Cable TV, DTH, HITS, IPTV, Teleports etc.), content services (Uplinking and Downlinking of News channels) and the FM radio sector.

The stakeholders have been requested to offer their views/comments latest by 12th August 2013. The comments may be sent, preferably in electronic form to Mr. Wasi Ahmad, Advisor (B&CS), Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, Mahanagar Doorsanchar Bhawan, Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg, New Delhi – 110002, (Tel No. - 011-23237922, Fax No. - 011-23220442) on the e-mail address [email protected]/ [email protected] Comments received will be posted on the website of TRAI.

Full text of the consultation paper is available on TRAI’s website: www.trai.gov.in.

Foreign direct investment limits: TRAI invites stakeholder comments on proposed liberalisation of FDI caps in broadcasting. TRAI has released a consultation paper at the request of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to re-examine Foreign Direct Investment limits and approval routes in the broadcasting sector. The paper considers carriage services, content services (uplinking/downlinking of news channels) and FM radio, guided by sector convergence and the principle of a level playing field. Stakeholders are invited to submit comments, which will be posted on TRAI's website.