**Executive Summary**
The report from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting highlights the growth of the OTT sector in India and its role in promoting Indian soft power and cultural outreach. Video subscription revenues are estimated to grow by 11% in 2024, reaching Rs. 9,200 Cr. Additionally, Prasar Bharati's WAVES OTT platform has achieved 80 Lakh downloads in its first year. The information was submitted on 17 DEC 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **OTT Sector Growth and Impact:**
* OTT sector significantly contributes to India's soft power by enabling global access to Indian content.
* Video subscription revenues are projected to grow by 11% in 2024, reaching Rs. 9,200 Cr.
* The number of OTT users paying for streaming content is estimated at 9.5-11.8 crore individuals.
* **WAVES OTT Platform:**
* WAVES OTT strengthens outreach by providing access to Doordarshan and All India Radio archives.
* The platform supports emerging filmmakers with a technology-driven distribution platform.
* It is a subscription-free public service platform, primarily funded by advertising.
* WAVES OTT has reached 80 Lakh downloads in its first year.
* **Regulatory Empowerment:**
* Section 7(1B)(ii) of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 (amended in 2023), empowers the Central Government to take remedial action against intermediaries hosting pirated film content under Section 79(3) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
**Impact Analysis**
**Emerging Filmmakers and Creators**
* **Impact:** Benefit from a technology-driven distribution platform to reach diverse audiences.
* **Action Required:** Utilize the WAVES OTT platform to showcase their content.
**Users of OTT Platforms**
* **Impact:** Access to increased multilingual Indian content and public service media.
* **Action Required:** Explore content offerings and engage with the platform.
**Public Broadcasters (Doordarshan, All India Radio)**
* **Impact:** Wider reach through the WAVES OTT platform, enabling them to share archives.
* **Action Required:** Ensure content is accessible and promoted on the WAVES OTT platform.
**Central Government**
* **Impact:** Empowered to take action against intermediaries hosting pirated film content.
* **Action Required:** Monitor and enforce the amended Cinematograph Act and Information Technology Act.
Key Entities Referenced
WAVES OTT: Prasar Bharati's Over-The-Top platform, a public service platform providing access to diverse content.
Cinematograph Act, 1952: The newly inserted Section 7(1B)(ii) of this Act empowers the Central Government to take remedial action against intermediaries hosting pirated film contents.
Information Technology Act, 2000: Section 79(3) of this Act empowers the Central Government to take remedial action against intermediaries hosting pirated film contents, in conjunction with the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
OTT Sector: Over-the-Top media service sector contributing towards India's soft power and global cultural outreach.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting: Government ministry responsible for the press release.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
OTT Sector Emerges as Key Driver of India’s Soft
Power and Global Cultural Outreach
The Video Subscription Revenues Grow 11% in 2024 to
Reach Rs. 9,200 Cr.
Prasar Bharati’s WAVES OTT Gets 80 Lakh Downloads in the
First Year of its Launch
प्रव तथ: 17 DEC 2025 3:55PM by PIB Delhi
The Over-the-Top (OTT) sector has significantly contributed towards India’s soft power by enabling
global access to Indian stories, creative talent, cultural heritage, and independent filmmaking.
As per industry estimates (FICCI-EY Media & Entertainment Industry Report 2025), the video
subscription revenues grew at 11% in 2024 to reach Rs. 9,200 cr. The number of users paying for
streaming content on OTT are estimated between 9.5-11.8 crore individuals.
Public Broadcaster’s platform WAVES OTT has further strengthened this outreach by making
Doordarshan and All India Radio’s rich archives, regional arts, documentaries, classical music, literature-
based programming, and multilingual content accessible to audiences worldwide.
WAVES OTT has introduced a framework to support emerging filmmakers and creators, providing them
with a technology-driven distribution platform to reach diverse global audiences.
WAVES OTT is primarily a subscription-free public service platform and does not operate on a
subscription-based model. Advertising is its main source of revenue. It focuses on democratising access to
public broadcasting content across India and globally.
The platform is currently in a growth and expansion phase, with a steadily increasing international user
footprint. Revenue streams from international markets are being progressively developed through strategic
partnerships.
User growth has shown a significant upward trend with more than 80 Lakh downloads users in the first
year of launch. This reflects the rising demand for multilingual Indian content and public service media on
digital platforms.
The newly inserted Section 7(1B)(ii) of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 (as amended in 2023), empowers
the Central Government, under Section 79(3) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 to take remedial
action against intermediaries hosting pirated film contents.
This Information was submitted by the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan in the Lok
Sabha today in response of questions asked by Smt. Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam.
***Mahesh Kumar/ Vivek Vishwash
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