Description: In April 2022, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the telecom and broadcast regulator, released a consultation paper (CP) on ‘Issues Relating to Media Ownership’. The Esya Centre and the Internet Freedom Foundation brought together media business owners, journalists, academics, and other stakeholders for a roundtable on media ownership in India. The stakeholders discussed various issues raised in the CP, including the links between plurality and ownership concentration, the adequacy of the existing legal framework, and difficulties in assessing ownership and control. This paper presents key takeaways from the discussion on the central aspects of the TRAI CP. It also suggests recommendations for policymakers on how the regulation of ownership in media markets can be improved.
Attribution: Mohit Chawdhry. Regulating Media Ownership in India: Challenges and the Way Ahead. March 2023, Esya Centre.