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Tag: IAMAI

  • IAMAI hails piracy task force as shot in the arm for creative economy

    IAMAI hails piracy task force as shot in the arm for creative economy

    MUMBAI: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has cheered the ministry of information and broadcasting’s (MIB’s) decision to set up a dedicated task force to tackle the scourge of online piracy, calling it a long-overdue step to protect the country’s creative economy.

    IAMAI’s digital entertainment committee said the initiative would help turn the tough provisions of the Cinematograph Amendment Act 2023 into action on the ground. The law introduced steep penalties for piracy and empowered authorities to crack down on illegal recordings and transmissions.

    A 2024 “Rob Report”, published by EY and IAMAI, estimated that India’s entertainment sector—spanning OTT platforms and cinemas—loses Rs 224 bn annually to piracy, with 51 per cent of consumers admitting to watching pirated content. It urged stronger enforcement, fairer pricing and more innovative distribution models.

    JioStar chief executive and chair of the digital entertainment committe Kiran Mani said IAMAI’s role in the task force would channel industry expertise into “decisive measures that safeguard our creative economy and fuel long-term growth.”

    Inshorts a co-founder & chief executive and co-chair of the committee  Deepit Purkayastha called piracy “one of the biggest hurdles” for the industry, adding that the task force was a chance to “set the stage for a stronger and more trusted entertainment industry.”

    With a task force in place, the law tightened and industry voices aligned, India’s media and entertainment sector is finally poised to fight piracy with more than words.

    (The picture shown above is just a representation of the task force and does not purport to depict either Shastri Bhawan or the industry executives who are part of the task force)

  • Digital dreams take flight: IDS 2025 is around the corner

    Digital dreams take flight: IDS 2025 is around the corner

    MUMBAI: Get ready to plug into the pulse of innovation!

    If you’re a tech enthusiast with an insatiable curiosity for all things digital, mark your calendars. The India Digital Summit (IDS), the crown jewel of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), is back for its 19th edition. Slated for 16-17 January 2025 at the vibrant hub of Aerocity, New Delhi, this year’s summit promises to be a game-changer. With the theme “Bharat’s Digital Path: Empowering Future Innovators”, the event is set to chart the course of India’s digital revolution.

    In collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and digital India, this powerhouse conference will bring together the brightest minds, cutting-edge tech, and transformative ideas to fuel the next wave of innovation.

    Get ready to witness the future unfold, one byte at a time!

    IDS is India’s largest and oldest digital ecosystem conference, bringing together policymakers, senior executives, academicians, and industry experts to discuss opportunities and challenges across digital sectors. This year’s summit will host over 300 sessions across 17 tracks, addressing domains such as advertising, artificial intelligence, eCommerce, education, and tech innovations for health, rural areas, and sports.

    The event will feature more than 15,000 delegates and include a 100-stall exhibition where over 50 leading digital brands will showcase cutting-edge innovations. Attendees can participate in diverse activities like workshops, masterclasses, hackathons, roundtables, and industry meet-ups, creating a unique blend of insights and networking opportunities.

    A special focus on startups will highlight startup street and startup pitching sessions. These initiatives will allow emerging entrepreneurs to present live demos, engage with investors, and seek funding and partnerships.

    IDS 2025 will also host the prestigious India Digital Awards (IDA), adjudicated by a panel of over 40 industry leaders. Now in its 15th edition, the awards will honour digital excellence across four categories and 47 subcategories. Additionally, the Digital Responsibility Awards (DRA) will return for its second year, recognising significant contributions to bridging India’s digital divides.

    Gold partners for IDS 2025 include PhonePe, Australia Trade and Investment Commission, IDA Ireland, Jagran New Media, and Exotel, while Route Mobile serves as the cloud communications partner. Silver partners include Shiprocket, Times Internet, and TV9 Network.

    Speaking about the summit’s significance, IAMAI underscored its role in driving India’s digital narrative while addressing persisting challenges in bridging the digital divide.

    For further details, visit: India Digital Summit

  • Parliamentary panel to review OTT content amidst regulatory debate

    Parliamentary panel to review OTT content amidst regulatory debate

    MUMBAI: Imagine this: you’re unwinding with your favorite show, only to frantically fumble for the remote as a scene unfolds that you’d rather your child never see—graphic violence, explicit language, or worse, nudity. Frustrated by the glamorisation of crime and violence in thrillers that could inspire the impressionable? It’s a moment every parent dreads, and a dilemma households across the country face in today’s era of on-demand entertainment.

    But here’s the big news: relief might finally be on the way.

    In a move poised to reshape how we consume digital content, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology is stepping in. Mark your calendars for 20 December, when the committee will meet with leading industry bodies to tackle the hot-button issue of content regulation on OTT platforms. As debates intensify between calls for stricter government oversight and advocates of self-regulation under the IT Rules, 2021, the stage is set for what could be a landmark decision in the OTT landscape.

    This is a moment of mixed emotions—hope for a more family-friendly streaming experience, but also trepidation over potential restrictions that might stifle creativity. One thing is certain: change is brewing, and all eyes are now on the committee’s crucial meeting.

    The committee, chaired by Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey, has invited organisations such as the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association and the Motion Picture Association of America (India office) to present their views. This dialogue follows Information and Broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s request to prioritise strengthening laws governing social media and OTT platforms.

    Dubey emphasised the urgency of addressing content concerns, particularly regarding portrayals of women, obscenity, and vulgarity. “OTT platforms often feature content unsuitable for family viewing. Our meeting with industry stakeholders will address these pressing issues,” he said.

    Last month, Vaishnaw highlighted cultural disparities between India and foreign regions housing platforms like Netflix and Prime Video. He stressed the need for stricter regulations, citing examples such as Netflix’s portrayal of the 1999 Indian Airlines hijacking in IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack. The series faced criticism for inaccuracies, prompting Netflix to update its disclaimers.

    Industry bodies such as the Indian Digital Media Industry Foundation (IDMIF) and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) have pushed for retaining the current self-regulatory framework. Both organisations argue that platform-level self-regulation under IT Rules ensures creative freedom while adhering to constitutional boundaries.

    In August, IDMIF and IAMAI assured MIB that their members comply with the code of ethics, avoiding content harmful to India’s sovereignty, security, and public order. They also highlighted caution in portraying racial or religious groups.

    As the government explores options like pre-certification for OTT content, industry bodies have urged against additional oversight. They advocate for maintaining the balance between creative expression and compliance.

    The 20 December meeting is poised to shape the future regulatory framework for OTT platforms in India, balancing creative freedom, cultural sensitivities, and legal accountability.

  • IAMAI unveils document on best practices for affiliate marketing in India

    IAMAI unveils document on best practices for affiliate marketing in India

    Mumbai: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) launched a comprehensive document on the “Best Practices for Affiliate Marketing in India” at the India Affiliate Summit (IAS), India’s premier annual conference for affiliate marketing professionals. Organised by IAMAI, IAS 2024 serves as a platform for thought leaders and industry captains to address key issues within the affiliate marketing ecosystem.

    Affiliate marketing spending in India currently stands at around $331 million, with projections reaching over $420 million by 2025. This anticipated growth underscores the urgent need for standardised practices and ethical guidelines to sustain the industry’s expansion. The “Best Practices for Affiliate Marketing in India” document by IAMAI addresses this need, providing a comprehensive framework to guide the industry toward greater transparency, trust and efficiency.

    Given India’s position as one of the world’s top 10 markets in affiliate marketing, there is immense potential for further growth. Key factors driving this growth include the rising penetration of mobile phones, the rapid expansion of the e-commerce sector, robust digital infrastructure, and government initiatives such as Digital India. Together, these elements are anticipated to enhance the role of affiliate marketing as a strategic tool for companies across the country.

    The comprehensive framework outlined in the document aims to foster trust, transparency, and efficiency across the affiliate marketing ecosystem.

    The key objectives of launching the Best Practices for Affiliate Marketing are to:

    ●    Establish industry-wide standards for ethical, transparent and effective campaigns

    ●    Foster trust between advertisers, affiliates, and consumers

    ●    Provide compliance guidance in a complex regulatory landscape

    ●    Offer guidelines on performance optimization and KPI measurement

    ●    Address common challenges such as unclear contracts and undisclosed terms

    The document includes:

    ●    Overview of different types of affiliate marketing

    ●    Guidelines for technical setup and KPI tracking

    ●    Best practices for various campaign formats (CPV, CPL, CPS, CPI)

    ●    Emphasis on transparency and compliance

    In October 2023 IAMAI facilitated the creation of a taskforce, comprising nine renowned companies of the affiliate marketing sector with the intention of creating affiliate marketing best practices guidelines. Companies involved in drafting the document include leading brands such as Affle, Admitad, Grabon, mFilterIt, Optimise, Tyroo, Valueleaf, and vCommission.

  • IAMAI gears up for 10th India Affiliate Summit in Gurugram

    IAMAI gears up for 10th India Affiliate Summit in Gurugram

    Mumbai: The internet and mobile association of India (IAMAI) is poised to host the milestone 10th edition of the India Affiliate Summit (IAS), set to unfold on 7-8 November 2024, at The Leela, Ambience, Gurugram. With vCommission as the title partner, IAS 2024 will bring together top marketers, thought leaders, and innovators to explore the latest trends and growth strategies in affiliate marketing.

    This two-day event will feature a dynamic lineup, including keynotes, masterclasses, panel discussions, and networking opportunities. Sessions will spotlight new insights and cutting-edge strategies across affiliate marketing, e-commerce, and D2C sectors. Industry heavyweights such as NP Digital, founder, Neil Patel; vCommission, CEO, Parul Bhargava; India Today Group CMO and IAMAI digital advertising council chairman, Vivek Malhotra; Indian Express Digital, CEO, Sanjay Sidhwani; and Adani Group, chief digital officer, Nitin Sethi will lead discussions on topics ranging from affiliate success strategies to influencer marketing and building resilient affiliate ecosystems.

    IAS attendees can expect valuable, actionable insights to optimise their strategies in affiliate, performance, and programmatic marketing. To mark the occasion, IAMAI will release a significant document on ‘Best Practices for Affiliate Marketing in India’ on 7 November.

    indiaaffiliatesummit

  • IAMAI condemns removal of apps and urges Google to reinstate delisted apps

    IAMAI condemns removal of apps and urges Google to reinstate delisted apps

    Mumbai: IAMAI condemns removal of apps and urges Google to reinstate delisted apps.

    IAMAI has strongly condemned the removal of some of the most prominent consumer digital companies’ apps from the Play Store, including those of Bharatmatrimony, Info Edge, Shaadi.com, and TrulyMadly and IAMAI urges Google to reinstate the delisted apps.  

    The association’s governing council has in a statement called the delisting of apps unfair and disproportionate. The association urges Google to urgently reinstate the delisted apps and engage in consultations with the industry body or member companies to find mutually agreeable solutions till the matter is subjudice.

  • OTT originals growing significantly in regional languages: Sanjay Jaju at IDS 2024

    OTT originals growing significantly in regional languages: Sanjay Jaju at IDS 2024

    Mumbai: OTT platforms are growing significantly in various regional languages across India. Ministry of information and broadcasting, government of India secretary Sanjay Jaju indicated this in his keynote address at India Digital Summit (IDS) 2024, in Mumbai. He pointed out that there were over 60 OTT platforms in India out which 30 per cent OTT Originals were operating in regional languages. The number is expected to go up to 50 per cent this year.

    Jaju also said that the media and entertainment sector was a huge sector and played a pivotal role in the Indian economy. “It’s been growing phenomenally at a rate of 20 per cent and is approximately Rs 2 Lakh Crore. In that, the digital media segment is the second largest sub-segment, and has been showing a growth of approximately 30 per cent — around Rs. 60,000 Crores — and the film segment has a 25 per cent growth rate,” he said. Sharing data, he added that over 200 films were released on the digital platforms in the last year, including 75 films which were released directly on the digital platform without a theatrical release.

    Regarding the growth of the digital gaming industry, Jaju said, “The online gaming industry has been growing by 34 per cent and animation and VFX have close to around 30 percent growth rate, expected to become a $2 billion industry by 2025.”  

    Jaju also announced some new initiatives that the government is taking to provide a boost to the media and entertainment sector in India. These include the setting up of a National Centre of Excellence in Maharashtra to create world class media talent and an incentive scheme to attract international projects. He pointed out that, this would help the industry undertake a lot of co-production treaties with multiple countries and create a number of audiovisual co-productions.

    India Today Group CMO & COO Vivek Malhotra consumer revenue moderated the session.

    IDS 2024 is being organised by IAMAI in partnership with the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB), the union ministry of tourism, UIDAI, Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), Government eMarketplace, in-space and skill India digital. The Summit is co-powered by Peak XV and WhistleFEED, and brought to you by META.

    Other IDS partners include Aaj Tak, Affle, Agrahyah Technologies, Air India Express, AiSensy, Albatross Media, Asianet News, Atmegame, Australia Trade & Investment Commission, Bharat BillPay, BillDesk, Builder.ai, Careers360, Chalo, Dataeye Asia, DigiBoxx, Ethinos, Fi Money, HERE India, indixital, Infinity Learn, Infobip, Interactive Avenues, ixigo, Jagran New Media, JOJO, Lionsgate, Liqvd Asia, MakeMyTrip, MapmyIndia, Markscan, Neokred, PhonePe, PhysicsWallah, PivotRoots – A Havas Company, Razorpay, Shiprocket, Sinch, Times Internet, Transport Corporation of India, True Balance, ValueFirst, and Zupee.

  • Live Content on OTT: Challenges, Opportunities and Triumphs

    Live Content on OTT: Challenges, Opportunities and Triumphs

    Mumbai: Internet and Mobile Association of India’s (IAMAI) 18th India Digital Summit, was held at Jio Convention Centre, BKC on 27 and 28 February. Many dignitaries where present from the digital advertising and martech industry and also many session from various sector took place. One such highlighting session was the fireside chat which dwelled deep into the challenges, opportunities, and triumphs of live content on OTT in India. The chat was moderated by sports broadcaster Mayanti Langer and featured Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd CEO (Sports) Anil Jayraj. The event provided a comprehensive understanding of the rapidly evolving OTT landscape in the country and also the exponential growth of sports content especially cricket.

    The session kicked off with an exploration of the challenges plaguing the OTT industry in India. From technological hurdles to content censorship regulations, Jayraj shared about the obstacles hindering the seamless delivery of live content to consumers. Issues such as bandwidth constraints and infrastructure limitations were also addressed, highlighting the need for innovative solutions to ensure uninterrupted streaming experiences for users across diverse demographics.

    Jayraj also shed light on the opportunities awaiting OTT platforms in India. With the growth of digital penetration and the rising popularity of smartphones, the country presents a fertile ground for content creators and distributors. The chat explained the importance of personalised content recommendations, user engagement strategies, and monetisation models tailored to the Indian market.

    Against the backdrop of challenges and opportunities, the session celebrated the triumphs of OTT platforms that have successfully carved a niche in the Indian sports ecosystem. From sports events to music concerts, the power of live streaming in fostering real-time interactions and community building was evident.

    As the session drew to a close, participants were left with a sense of optimism for the future of OTT in India. With advancements in technology and changing consumer behaviors reshaping the way content is consumed and distributed, the journey ahead promises both challenges and opportunities for stakeholders across the ecosystem.

  • IAMAI demands imposing revenue sharing mechanisms between internet companies and TSPs smack of rent-seeking

    IAMAI demands imposing revenue sharing mechanisms between internet companies and TSPs smack of rent-seeking

    Mumbai: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has in its counter comments submitted to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on the consultation paper “Regulatory Mechanism for Over-The-Top (OTT) Communication Services, and Selective Banning of OTT Services” said that demands for imposing revenue sharing mechanisms between internet companies and telecom service providers (TSPs) smack of rent-seeking.

    IAMAI also flagged demands made by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). The COAI has called for regulatory intervention to ensure “largest traffic originators” pay a ‘fair share charge’ to telecom companies to account for capital investments made by the latter to “accommodate surging data traffic”. Similarly, ICRIER has called for the imposition of a ‘Broadband Infrastructure Levy’ to be applied at 3% of India operations of “significant” OTT service providers based on “specialized contracts” between service providers and network operators.

    According to IAMAI members, by requiring “largest” OTT service providers to pay TSPs for data used by consumers, TSPs would effectively be charging twice for the same service – as they already charge consumers for data. In any case, “surging data traffic” is merely data consumed by consumers that they have already purchased from telecom companies. Therefore, the “strain” on infrastructure of TSPs occurs when they sell data to consumers beyond their infrastructural capacity – a fact that has been conveniently ignored.

    Opposing demands to bring OTT service providers under regulations typically reserved for telecom companies, IAMAI highlighted that such demands fail to recognise that telecom service providers are subject to a special regulatory and licensing regime by virtue of the control that they exercise over valuable national resources such as spectrum. Therefore, the introduction of a telecom regulatory regime for OTT service providers would be an act of over-regulation.

    Over-the-top service providers have provided high quality content for little-to-no cost to users. This in turn has spurred the rapid growth of data consumption and economic activity in India. Mandating revenue-sharing mechanisms between OTTs and TSPs would effectively reverse this phenomenon by disincentivising growth for OTT based businesses, for whom a volume-based revenue sharing mechanism would be a glass ceiling for continuing growth and may prove to be an entry barrier for startups.
     

  • Vikash Jalan is the new chair of IAMAI’s TravelTech Committee

    Vikash Jalan is the new chair of IAMAI’s TravelTech Committee

    Mumbai: The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has appointed Paytm Travel chief business officer Vikash Jalan as the new chair of its TravelTech Committee.

    Jalan brings with him a wealth of experience and a passion for cultivating and nurturing innovative ideas into successful ventures. With a deep-rooted entrepreneurial spirit, he has consistently demonstrated his ability to transform ideas into reality, embodying the concept of moving from ‘Zero to One’ with remarkable zeal. He has extensive experience in working across global roles and consumer domains which has helped build his diverse leadership and business perspective.  At Paytm, he leads the travel business.

    Expressing his excitement about his new role, Jalan stated, “The travel industry is undergoing a remarkable transformation, powered by technological innovations that are reshaping the way we explore the world. At this juncture, I am thrilled to take on the role of Chair for IAMAI’s TravelTech Committee and I’m eagerly looking forward to collaborating with fellow industry leaders, pooling our expertise to fuel innovation, drive sustainable growth, and collectively chart the course for the future of travel.”

    IAMAI’s TravelTech Committee is set to benefit immensely from Jalan’s wealth of experience and leadership acumen. His appointment promises to catalyse innovation, drive growth, and steer the travel industry toward a dynamic and promising future.