Govt releases draft OTT accessibility norms for hearing and visually impaired users

New Delhi, Dec 12 The government has issued draft guidelines to make audio‑visual content on online curated content platforms (OTT platforms) accessible to persons with hearing and visual impairment, the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Dr L Murugan, told the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued draft guidelines for 'Accessibility of Content on Platforms of Publishers of Online Curated Content (OTT Platforms)' for public consultation on October 7, 2025.

The guidelines provided for a two‑phase implementation schedule, the official statement said.

The guidelines were published keeping in view constitutional guarantees under Article 14, India’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and the Code of Ethics under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media, Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, the minister said.

The ministry noted that it had earlier issued Accessibility Standards for Persons with Disabilities in Television Programmes for the hearing impaired on September 11, 2019.

Part 12 of those standards prescribed a phased roll‑out of access services, beginning with the public broadcaster Prasar Bharati and followed by private broadcasters and private news broadcasters.

India’s entertainment and media industry will grow from $32.2 billion in 2024 to $47.2 billion by 2029 at a 7.8 per cent compound annual growth rate, nearly twice the global average of 4.2 per cent, a report said on Friday.

The growth will be driven by rising digital participation, a large youth population, expanding broadband access, and deeper online content consumption, the report from PwC India said.

These factors are reshaping audience behaviour across formats and creating opportunities for platforms, advertisers, and creators, the report said.

The firm forecasted the over‑the‑top (OTT) streaming revenues to grow from $2.27 billion in 2024 to $3.47 billion by 2029, supported by regional content, direct-to-consumer models, and an expanding subscriber base.

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