AnantLaw authored India chapter for Law Business Research Limited providing coverage to key trends, developments and movements in technology, media, telecommunications, data protection, and data privacy laws.
Covid-19 changed many things for the TMT sector all over the world. The onset of covid-19 in 2020 brought significant growth and development in carriage of telecom services and media and broadcasting in the Indian market, only to exponentially increase in 2021.
Like most other jurisdictions across the globe, in India, the onset of covid reflected an inward-looking mindset that nurtured and perhaps even rewarded aspirations of domestic growth. However, 2021 changed this covid-induced perspective (across the world and in India). Stakeholders (including the government) revised plans to facilitate internationalism. Active policy advancements and initiatives are welcoming of foreign investments and new newer players. One prominent policy change to this effect was the announcement by the government of allowing 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the telecommunications sector without seeking any prior approval. Previously, foreign investment above 49 per cent required the prior approval o the government. This means that foreign participants investing in the telecom sector in India shall no longer require the approval of the government for the same and such investment may flow freely.
2021 has seen phenomenal growth in the demand for online services, including platform and software services, massive increases in the demand for data and internet connectivity due to the work from home model, and increased consumption of online media and entertainment content. The Indian telecommunication market, being the world’s second-largest, saw a dramatic rise in subscription services. It is reported that the total subscriber base in the country stood at 1,201.20 million in March 2021. The density of rural subscribers reached 60.27 per cent in March 2021, from 58.79 per cent in March 2020, showcasing growth potential in the demand from the rural sector. The gross revenue of the telecom sector has been pegged at US$9.35 billion in the third quarter of FY 2021. The media and broadcasting sector has also seen rampant growth in 2021. The estimated worth of the media and broadcasting sector currently stands at US$24 billion in 2021, and it is constantly increasing. Similar growth trends have been observed for the online gaming, music and subscription video on demand markets in India, and these sectors show promising projected growth over the next two financial years.
Full chapter can be downloaded from the link below.