As millions tune into their love for cricket, we log into another IPL: the Indian policy landscape (IPL). This IPL looks more like a test match though, not a T20 — we are all in it for the long haul. Don't worry, we won't bombard you with too many cricketing memes...
Source: Reddit.com
...except this one.
So, grab a glass of cool sherbet (bonus points if it's the nostalgic Rooh-Afza), for tech full tosses, regulation googlies, and policy powerplays. In this edition, we deep dive into the recent conversation on regulatory convergence and cover some interesting tech developments from the Parliament's Budget session. We also deliver some fresh baked goods from the courts — in this month's menu we have: ANI's suit against OpenAI, X's takedown challenge and deepfake updates.
Deep-Dive
Guess who's back? Back again...Convergence's back
After laying low for a while, the idea of convergence — unifying regulation across telecom, IT, and media — has returned to the Indian policy spotlight.
On March 22, 2025, the parliament's specialized IT committee suggested merging the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), IT ministry and Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and proposed setting up a common media council. The aim? To coordinate regulatory issues stemming from technological convergence of media and communication platforms.
Presently, regulatory responsibilities are split across these ministries). MIB oversees broadcasting policy, advertising and presentation of the government's policies through press, IT ministry takes care of IT policy matters, internet and cyber laws and DoT is responsible for telecom policy, licensing and coordination across telephones, wireless, data and other like forms of communication.
However, today's communication landscape no longer fits neatly into legacy boxes. Voice calls and SMS now share space with WhatsApp and Signal. Traditional television coexists with binge-worthy OTT platforms. The lines between telecom, IT, and media aren't just blurry — they're intersecting, and sometimes vanishing altogether. This shift has ignited a growing chorus of questions: Who should regulate what? And, how?
Flashback: Let's rewind to 2023
This discussion is not new and was most recently brought up in January 2023 — when the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released a consultation paper which spotlighted key governance gaps, such as duplicating licensing requirements and regulatory overlap on OTT content. TRAI's solution to this was to create a unified body, which would cut through the confusion and streamline oversight.
MIB reportedly wasn't on board, since content regulation is a nuanced beast requiring specialist handling (read: them). Industry bodies like ITI felt that current laws were equipped to deal with emerging technologies and warned against dragging OTTs into telecom-style regulation. Echoing this sentiment, NASSCOM argued that TRAI's paper listed problems but did not outline any regulatory harms or share benefits of a new unified framework. Some also indicated that such convergence may lead to administrative turf war between ministries.
What happens now?
As this convergence saga enters its next act, all eyes are on how the plot unfolds. Recently, leading industry body the Cellular Operators Association of India — which has been batting for same service, same rules for years now — heavily backed the idea of convergence. Their position has been — if OTTs and telcos offer similar services, they should be playing by the same rulebook. But not everyone is sold. If TRAI's 2023 consultation was any indication, we can expect pushback.
Connecting the dots
Keeping up with Kamra
Just as the Samay Raina–Ranveer Allahbadia issue— where one controversial comment snowballed into social media outrage, politicians' criticism and criminal action, — was finally cooling off (ICYMI, we broke it down in our previous edition here); another comedian Kunal Kamra came under the scanner (yet again), for his stand-up comedy special 'Naya Bharat'.
Kamra performed a parody song implicitly criticizing Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, calling him a "traitor" over his political defection (from Shiv Sena in 2022) (brownie points for noticing that Kamra didn't actually name Shinde). But the insinuation didn't land well with his political supporters, who reportedly damaged the performance venue. T-Series sent a copyright notice on his YouTube video. Booking platform BookMyShow delisted his shows from their platform.
Kamra sought anticipatory bail against arrest from the Madras High Court, asking for urgent relief amid multiple death threats. This protection has been granted until April 17, 2025.
In addition to this, Kamra had also filed a petition in the Bombay High Court to quash his defamation and public mischief charges. During the April 8, 2025 hearing, the court said that they would consider whether Kamra's physical appearance in the case is required — something that the court has been keen on, but Kamra's counsel has opposed. At the most recent hearing on April 16, 2025, Kamra's lawyers argued that political leaders, including Ajit Pawar, have previously made similar "traitor" references without facing any legal action. The court has reserved the matter for orders and has said that in the meantime Kamra will not be arrested.
Starlink orbits back
On March 11 and 12, 2025, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel each announced partnerships with Elon Musk's aerospace company SpaceX — allowing Starlink's satellite communication equipment to be launched through their retail stores. Interestingly, both Jio and Airtel have long supported spectrum allocation via an auction. However, Starlink earlier pushed for administrative assignment through licensing. Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Telecom Minister has reaffirmed that India's satcom market remains competitive and open to all, with clear licensing requirements for all entrants. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw welcomed Starlink's potential, particularly for connectivity in railway zones.
Peeking into the Parliament
This year's Budget session of Parliament came to an end on April 3, 2025. While the mainstream media's focus has been on the passing of the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025, this session in Parliament featured manytech-related speeches and questions.
- Make AI for India, by India: Aam Aadmi Party member, Raghav Chadha, flagged India's lag in AI development despite its global reputation for talent. He urged the government to take steps like developing indigenous AI chips, setting up an AI Infrastructure Fund, and unlocking access to public data — shifting India from AI consumer to producer.
- Deepfake drama: Bhartiya Janata Party members, Hema Malini and Darshan Singh Choudhary raised concerns over the rise of deepfakes targeting celebrities and the increasing volume of vulgar and obscene content on OTT platforms and social media.
- Don't mute the muse: All India Trinamool Congress MP June Maliah warned that excessive regulation could stifle freedom of expression and hurt India's thriving digital creative economy. She called for inclusive consultations before locking in any regulatory framework — urging the government to engage content creators, platforms, and consumer rights groups alike.
- Ctrl + Alt + Del digital tax: Finance Bill, 2025 abolished the 6% equalisation levy imposed on non-resident digital platforms earning revenue from Indian advertisers. Meant to ensure a level playing field for domestic digital companies subject to income tax in India, its removal will lead to lower ad costs for global platforms.
- Etc etc: Off the floor, there were some pointed questions on regulating the AI industry, content takedown notices, obscenity on social media platforms and rise of online gaming platforms.
From the courtrooms to your inbox
- A-and-I is back again!: News agency Asian News International (ANI)'s suit against OpenAI alleging that it scraped ANI's data to train ChatGPT for commercial gain and tarnishing its reputation by attributing fabricated news to it — continues. A regular feature in our Ticker, this case has been covered in previous editions here and here). In recent hearings, OpenAI said that it is not liable for copyright infringement, saying — we don't copy, we predict. They also pointed out that: (i) Training happens outside India, so Indian copyright law doesn't apply; (ii). use of data is covered under India's fair dealing exception (under private research); (iii). No direct reproduction = no infringement. ANI replied saying the outputs do mirror its original reporting — in fact, often using near-verbatim language. And since AI-generated content lacks human creativity, the 'original work' defense doesn't fly. ANI insists it's OpenAI's job to prove the outputs are copyright-distinct. The arguments will resume in the next hearing, scheduled for April 17, 2025.
- The battle of the sections: X has challenged the usage of Section 79(3(b) by the government to issue takedown orders. X says that the only valid blocking route is Section 69A, read with the Blocking Rules — as recognized under Shreya Singhal case. Reason?Section 69A has in-built procedural safeguards. unlike Section 79. The platform wants a declaration that Section 79 doesn't permit takedown orders, and protection from any coercive action for refusing to play along—including not signing up for Sahyog, the MHA's portal for coordinating law enforcement content takedowns.
- Just three months more: The Delhi High Court is currently hearing a bunch of clubbed cases—including those filed by Chaitanya Rohilla and Rajat Sharma—seeking regulation of deepfake tech. (ICYMI, we've covered this saga here and here.) Back in November 2024, the Court had asked the IT Ministry to report steps taken to regulate deepfakes. The ministry shared that it has formed a committee to assess whether India's current legal framework can handle the deepfake menace and recommend fixes. The committee had a three-month deadline to consult platforms, legal experts, victims, and civil society. During the March 24 hearing, the ministry asked for three more months to wrap things up.
Tech stories
Spirited away...but legally bound
Lately, Instagram, X and even WhatsApp DPs are leaning into the AI-generated Ghibli art style. While users post their dreamy pastel-hued portraits, which are giving all the vibes; we unpack some of the raging conversations across the globe.
Source: 9gag.com
AI art meets copyright
Globally, artists are pushing back, arguing that AI platforms are 'stealing' their styles without consent. But what's the take of regulators? Let's give you a quick sneak-peek:
- India: A public interest has been filed in the Delhi High Court demanding tighter regulations around AI-generated art — calling for amendments to copyright laws to curb unauthorized use of original artistic works in AI training datasets.
- Japan: In the home of Studio Ghibli, a more liberal approach is being adopted. There is an exception under the copyright law for copyrighted work used in training. Japanese artists and creators are vocal against the lack of protection for copyright holders.
- European Union: The EU AI Act provides for transparency requirements such as publishing summaries of copyrighted data used for training, and disclosures that it was AI generated content. The goal is to make it easier for copyright holders to determine the usage of their content in training data.
It remains to be seen how long we'll ride the wave of this viral AI art trend. But beneath the surface lie some not-so-animated questions: Who owns the uploaded photos and their data? Are users exposed to data breaches? Where does artistic inspiration end and copyright infringement begin? And can 'fair use' really stretch to cover massive amounts of web-scraped training data?
Reading Reccos
- In the Hollywood Reporter India, Prathyush reports and analyses the growing trend of comedians seeking lawyers to vet their content following the controversies around Samay Raina and Kunal Kamra.
- On Wired, Lauren Goode analyses the impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs on global tech companies.
- The Rest of World has an interesting story on how the ride-hailing industry in India has changed Uber's business model and practices to stay competitive.
Shoutouts!
- We, along with the IT Ministry and UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia hosted our third stakeholder consultation for AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) in India in Hyderabad — with the generous support from Government of Telangana — on April 8, 2025. This featured a fireside chat with Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, IT Ministry and CEO of the IndiaAI mission. We also had an (almost) all-women panel on 'Shaping ethics in AI governance' moderated by our partner Nehaa Chaudhari — featuring Kavita Bhatia (COO, IndiaAI Mission and Group Coordinator, Emerging Technologies Division, IT Ministry), Rama Devi Lanka (Emerging Technologies Division, IT Ministry of Telangana), Dr. Krishnashree Achuthan (Dean, PG Programs, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham) and Dr. James Wright (Programme Specialist, UNESCO).
- Our colleague Vidushi Sinha has joined Her Forum — a platform and community for women in law. As the Chapter Lead, she will be helping build the community in Bengaluru.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
