The Government of India is pursuing a dual strategy, safeguarding creative expression while ensuring accountability in digital content distribution, alongside a strong push to advance the nation’s creative technology sector, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
Elaborating the steps taken to address the negative effects of harmful content on OTT platforms, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the government notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media, Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, on 25 February 2021 under the IT Act, 2000.
“Part-III of the rules provides for a Code of Ethics for digital news publishers and publishers of online curated content (OTT platforms). Further, the OTT platforms are under obligation not to transmit any content which is prohibited by law for the time being in force,” he said.
The minister further stated that these rules further provide a three-tier grievance redressal mechanism which includes; self-regulation by the publishers, self-regulation by the self-regulating bodies of the publishers, and oversight mechanism by the central government
“Complaints received by the Ministry are forwarded to the concerned OTT platforms for resolution as per IT Rules, 2021. Following due consultations with relevant Ministries, Government has blocked 43 OTT platforms for displaying obscene content,” he added.
The Union Minister also stated that the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) issues advertisements of the Government of India across various media platforms, including newspapers, TV/radio, outdoor, and digital media.
He stated that the government recognises the AVGC-XR sector (includes Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality Sector) as a one of the core components of India’s creative ecosystem. The initiatives undertaken for the AVGC sector included the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025, which was organised in May in Mumbai. The summit included the Create in India Challenge, WAVES Bazaar, WaveX accelerator, and provided masterclasses and mentorships in storytelling, AI, XR, and digital content creation.
Further, the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies has been established as a premier institute for the creative technologies, focusing on industry-oriented curriculum and global best practices. “Rs 392.85 Cr has been allocated for the development and operations of IICT and it is modelled on the lines of IITs and IIMs, for creative technologies,” said the minister, adding that the institute has signed MoUs with major global companies, including Google, Meta, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, and WPP, for academic collaboration.