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

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued its recommendations on “Promoting Local Manufacturing in the Television Broadcasting Sector” on 31 March, 2023.

Digitalisation of the Indian broadcasting sector began in the year 2012 and was completed across the country by March 2017. It provided a unique opportunity for the growth of local manufacturers to cater to the demand. The Government launched initiatives such as ‘Make in India’ and ‘Digital India’ and has accorded highest priority to transform India into a global design and manufacturing hub.

The Authority with the objective of realistically assessing India’s true potential in equipment manufacturing and to arrive at the recommendations to the Government that would enable Indian Broadcasting equipment manufacturing sector to transition from an import-dependent sector to a global hub of indigenous manufacturing, has suo-motu issued a consultation paper on “Promoting Local Manufacturing in the Television Broadcasting Sector” on 22-12-2021, for seeking comment of all the stakeholders.

The last date of submission of comments was 19-01-2022 and counter comments, if any by 02-02-2022, which was extended on the request of stakeholder up to 09-02-2022 and 23-02-2022 respectively. The TRAI received 16 comments from stakeholders and 01 counter comments, which are available on TRAI website. In this regard, an Open House Discussion was also held on 28-04-2022 through video conference.

After considering all comments received from stakeholders during consultation process and further analysis of the issues, the Authority has finalised its recommendations as given below:

a. There is a need to focus on emerging technologies and tenets of era of convergence and aim at building an eco-system for broadcast equipment. Centre of Excellence may be established for broadcast equipment or existing Telecom Centres of Excellence may be upgraded to focus on broadcast equipment as well.

b. Enable organisation like Telecom Export Promotion Council (TEPC) or some similarly placed organization to promote and facilitate exports of locally manufactured broadcast equipment.

c. Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC), Department of Telecommunications should be mandated to test and standardise all the broadcast equipment.

d. Strengthen existing R&D Centres in public sector, such as C-DOT. Develop local R&D ecosystem along with industry participation through PPP route. Create ‘Technology development Fund’ to promote R&D and development of local products/ technologies for Broadcasting Sector. Incentivize use of local CAS, review outcome of such measures to promote R&D and standardisation.

e. A go-to market strategy may also be adopted for the products developed through local R&D.

f. Linear Set-up boxes should be brought under PLI scheme.

g. Periodically review the availability of indigenous components required for broadcasting equipment including chipsets. The availability of local components shall be taken into consideration while setting the localisation levels under the PLI scheme. Review the investment outlay required for obtaining benefits under the PLI scheme with a view to promote manufacturing by MSME for some selected equipment as may be identified from time to time.

h. Promote local manufacturing of other relevant components of the television broadcasting sector along the lines of Semicon India Program.

Define the scope of ‘local manufacturing’ for different equipment categories in the television broadcasting sector in terms of the percentage of the locally sourced components/services.

j. Review FTAs and such agreements with regard to their impact on local manufacturing in the television broadcasting sector.

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