The Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur yesterday launched four portals that promise to revolutionize the media landscape in India and make processes contemporaneous. These initiatives, according to an official government statement, are aimed at ensuring ease of doing business by fostering a more conducive business environment for newspaper publishers and TV channels, while enhancing transparency and efficiency in government communications, providing easy  access to authentic government videos and creating a comprehensive database of local cable operators (LCOs), which enables streamlining of the regulatory processes in the cable television sector.

Addressing the audience present on the occasion, the Minister remarked that India is viewed as an attractive destination for investment with global companies eager to establish businesses here.

He recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on transformative governance and economic reforms that have greatly improved the ease of doing business in India, adding this has led to increased investment from both existing businesses and new entrepreneurs.

Earlier, MIB Secretary Sanjay Jaju said that the initiatives being unveiled will help the government streamline and increase engagement with the media sector.

These will foster not just transparency and innovation but help improve the functioning of the departments, the Secretary observed, according to the statement.

Some of the key initiatives include the following:

Press Sewa Portal: Streamlining newspaper registration the Press Sewa Portal, developed under the Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023 (PRP Act, 2023) by the Press Registrar General of India, is a step towards complete automation of the process for newspaper registration and other related processes. This portal aims to simplify the cumbersome registration procedures that were prevalent under the colonial PRB Act, 1867.

Transparent Empanelment Media Planning, eBilling: This system developed for the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC), which provides a comprehensive 360 degree media and communication solutions to various government Ministries, Departments, PSUs and autonomous bodies.  The new system of CBC is designed to enhance transparency and efficiency in media planning processes, and provide an end-to-end ERP solution for the media industry for doing business in a paperless and faceless environment.

NaViGate Bharat Portal: The ‘NaViGate Bharat’ portal or the National Video Gateway of Bharat, developed by the New Media Wing of the MIB, is a unified bilingual platform that hosts videos on the entire gamut of federal government’s development-related and citizen welfare-oriented measures. The portal eliminates the hassle of searching for official and reliable information from multiple sources, providing a one-stop platform for media and the general public.

National Register for LCOs: Aimed at strengthening the cable sector, the  National Register for local cable operators (LCOs) is the first step to bring registration of local operators, currently with Post Offices spread across the country, under a centralised registration system.

A web form has been designed to collect information from local cable operators for the purpose of the National Register, which has also been published online and is being updated regularly. This promises a more organized cable sector with a National Registration Number for an LCO, making it easier to formulate new policies for responsible service and convenience for cable operators.

A centralised portal for online registration is in the process of development. The LCO National Register facility opens new possibilities for the cable sector, aligning with the vision of a developed India, the MIB stressed.

These initiatives collectively mark a significant leap towards a digitized and modernized media landscape in India and reaffirms the commitment of the MIB to foster innovation, transparency and progress in the media sector.