India removes 12-minute TV advertisement duration cap

India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has announced the removal of the 12-minute per hour advertisement duration cap for television channels. The restriction, which was introduced in 2006 under the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, limited channels to 10 minutes of commercial ads and two minutes of self-promotional content per hour.

The government stated that the decision aims to promote fair competition and improve the ease of doing business. A primary driver for the change is the need to level the playing field between traditional broadcasters and digital media platforms, which do not face similar advertising time restrictions.

Officials noted that the broadcasting landscape has shifted significantly since the cap was implemented. In 2006, there were only 62 television channels operating on analog technology; today, there are more than 900 channels distributed via digital platforms such as DTH, cable, HITS, and IPTV. The Ministry concluded that the current market offers adequate competition, making the previous regulatory constraints unnecessary.

The new rules will take effect once the formal amendment to the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, is notified in the Gazette. This decision follows a recent ruling by the Delhi High Court that had upheld the existing cap.