TRAI’s Recommendations on “Promoting Local Manufacturing in the Television Broadcasting Sector

April 4, 2023

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is a statutory body that regulates the telecommunications and broadcasting industries in India. It was established in 1997 by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act to promote competition and protect consumer interests. TRAI plays a vital role in the growth and development of the Indian broadcasting sector.

Digitalisation of Indian Broadcasting Sector

The digitalisation of the Indian broadcasting sector began in 2012 and was completed across the country by March 2017. This process involved the transition from analog to digital broadcasting, which improved the quality of audio and video transmissions and increased the number of channels available. Digitalisation also provided a unique opportunity for the growth of local manufacturers to cater to the demand for equipment required in this sector.

Consultation Paper on “Promoting Local Manufacturing in the Television Broadcasting Sector”

In December 2021, TRAI issued a consultation paper on “Promoting Local Manufacturing in the Television Broadcasting Sector” with the objective of realistically assessing India’s true potential in equipment manufacturing. The purpose this consultation paper is to enable the transition of the Indian Broadcasting equipment manufacturing sector from an import-dependent sector to a global hub of indigenous manufacturing. The last date of submission of comments was 19 January 2022, which was extended up to 9 February 2022 on the request of stakeholders.

TRAI’s Recommendations

After considering all comments received from stakeholders and further analysis of the issues, TRAI has finalised its recommendations. One of the key recommendations is the establishment of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for broadcast equipment. The CoE can be a new entity or existing Telecom CoEs may be upgraded to focus on broadcast equipment as well.

TRAI also recommended that organisations such as Telecom Export Promotion Council (TEPC) need to be enabled to promote and facilitate exports of locally manufactured broadcast equipment. Further, the company recommended that Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC), Department of Telecommunications should be mandated to test and standardise all the broadcast equipment.

TRAI also recommended that there was a need to strengthen existing R&D centres in public sector, such as C-DOT, and develop a local R&D ecosystem along with industry participation through the PPP route. Additionally, it said that creation of “Technology development Fund” to promote R&D and development of local products/ technologies for Broadcasting Sector was important.

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