India Launches 4 New Portals to Transform Media Industry

4 New Portals by the Minister of Information and Broadcasting

The Minister of Information and Broadcasting recently unveiled four new portals as part of the government’s push towards digital transformation. These new platforms aim to streamline processes, enhance transparency, and improve the ease of doing business in India’s media landscape.

4 New Portals

The media sector in India has witnessed significant changes with the adoption of new technologies and digital platforms. To keep pace with the rapid digital advancement, the government has taken a series of initiatives to modernize the country’s media ecosystem.

As part of these efforts, the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, launched four new portals – the Press Sewa Portal, the Transparent Empanelment Media Planning and eBilling System (TEMPEST), the NaViGate Bharat Portal, and the National Register for Local Cable Operators (LCOs).

What Are the Four New Portals Launched by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting?

1. Press Sewa Portal

The Press Sewa Portal has been introduced to automate the entire newspaper registration process. Developed under the Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023 by the Press Registrar General of India (erstwhile RNI), this portal aims to simplify and replace the cumbersome registration procedures under the colonial PRB Act, 1867.

Some key features of the Press Sewa Portal include:

• Online application filing – Publishers can now submit applications for title registration completely online using Aadhaar-based e-signatures. This enhances security and verification.
• Real-time tracking – Applicants can track the status of their applications in real-time through an intuitive dashboard.
• Dedicated DM module – District Magistrates can efficiently manage applications received from publishers through a centralized dashboard.
• New website – The revamped website offers relevant information and an AI chatbot for convenient user interactions.

The new Press Sewa Portal brings the newspaper registration process into the digital era with online facilities, transparency, and quick redressal of grievances.

2. TEMPEST Portal

The TEMPEST portal aims to streamline and bring transparency into media planning and billing processes of the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC).

Some salient features TEMPEST portal include:

• Online empanelment – Print, TV, radio, and digital media can apply for CBC empanelment through a unified portal.
• E-billing system – The portal offers end-to-end solutions for paperless billing integrated with the Public Financial Management System.
• Enhanced transparency – The new system enhances transparency in campaign planning by allowing users to check release orders and billing status online.

By increasing process efficiency and transparency, the TEMPEST portal creates a more conducive environment for the media industry to collaborate with the government.

3. NaViGate Bharat Portal

The TEMPEST portal serves as a unified bilingual platform to access government videos easily.

Key highlights TEMPEST portal include:

• Centralized video repository – It hosts informative videos on various government schemes and development initiatives.
• Improved access – Citizens across India can now easily search and view reliable videos regarding government welfare schemes.
• Bilingual interface – The portal offers videos in Hindi and English, improving access for non-English speakers.

The NaViGate portal empowers people by providing easy access to government videos, enhancing reach and awareness.

4. National Register for LCOs

The National Register aims to create a centralized database of all Local Cable Operators (LCOs) in India.

National Register has the following components:

• Registration process – LCOs can register online through a dedicated form to obtain the national registration number.
• Updated database – The national register serves as a frequently updated, comprehensive database of registered LCOs in India.
• Regulatory streamlining – The aggregated LCO data allows the government to formulate policies and regulations for the cable TV sector more effectively.

By maintaining verified records of all LCOs, the National Register enables better administration and governance of the country’s cable TV networks.

Why Were These Portals Created?

Push Towards Digital Transformation

These platforms underscore the government’s focused push towards digitization and improving ease of doing business in the media sector.

They aim to replace outdated manual processes with efficient digital systems that enhance transparency, reduce processing times, and create a more collaborative ecosystem.

Support Media Industry Growth

These portals also intend to facilitate innovation and growth of print, electronic, and digital media in India.

By simplifying cumbersome compliance procedures and paperwork, they allow media organizations to focus more on their core operations.

The government envisages that increased operational efficiency and financial viability will place the Indian media industry on a high growth trajectory.

How Will These Portals Impact the Media Industry?

The launch of these pioneering portals will significantly benefit the media industry in the following ways:

Increased Efficiency

The automated and paperless processes promise faster turnaround times for key media operations like title registrations, campaign planning, and billing.

News organizations can devote more resources towards journalistic work rather than administrative paperwork.

Enhanced Transparency

The online dashboards provide media companies with real-time visibility into the status of regulatory submissions like title registrations.

The TEMPEST portal also brings unprecedented transparency into campaign planning and billing for media empaneled with CBC.

Improved Collaboration

The portals facilitate seamless information exchange between media entities and government bodies like RNI and CBC.

This enhanced collaboration is mutually beneficial for both stakeholders.

Stimulus for Innovation

By reducing the operational encumbrances, these platforms give media organizations more bandwidth to experiment with innovative content formats and business models.

Over time, this can catalyze the emergence of new media technologies and solutions.

Thus, these new pioneering digital interventions by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting aims to bring a new phase of efficiency, transparency, and innovation for the Indian media landscape.

Final Thoughts

The launch of the four New digital portals by the Minister of Information and Broadcasting aims to propel the media industry towards efficient digital processes, transparency, and innovation.

As India continues its digital transformation, integrating advanced technologies across governance, these portals represent a progressive step towards an open, accountable, and innovation-driven future.