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NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has decided to remove the long-standing 12-minute-per-hour cap on advertisements for television channels.
The move, announced on August 14, 2026, aims to promote fair competition and improve ease of doing business in the broadcasting sector.
The decision will come into effect from the date the amendment to the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, is notified in the Gazette.
Background of the Restriction
The 12-minute advertisement duration limit was introduced in 2006 under Rule 7(11) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994. At that time, India had only 62 television channels.
Cable television, the primary distribution platform, was largely analogue and had limited carriage capacity, offering viewers restricted choice.
The cap allowed a maximum of 12 minutes of non-programme content per hour, typically split into up to 10 minutes of commercial advertisements and 2 minutes of self-promotional content.
Why the Cap Has Been Removed
The Ministry noted that the television broadcasting landscape has undergone major changes over the past two decades. India now has more than 900 television channels.
Following the complete digitisation of the cable TV sector, distribution platforms such as DTH, Cable TV, HITS and IPTV can carry 300 to 500 channels or more, providing diverse consumer needs and enabling greater competition.
The Ministry stated that there is now adequate competition both within the television industry and between traditional TV and digital media.
It also highlighted that the sector remains heavily dependent on advertising revenue, whether channels are pay or free-to-air. Digital platforms face no similar statutory restriction on advertisement duration, creating a non-level playing field for conventional broadcasters.
“The Government has decided to remove the advertisement duration cap to enable fair competition and ensure ease of doing business,” the Ministry said.
Context of Recent Court Ruling
The decision comes months after the Delhi High Court upheld the validity of the 12-minute restriction. In May 2026, the court dismissed petitions by several broadcasters challenging the cap, observing that there is “no constitutional guarantee of profitability or unlimited monetisation of public resources.”
The court had held that the ceiling struck a proportionate balance between broadcasters’ rights and public interest.
Despite the court’s ruling, the government has chosen to revisit and remove the stipulation in light of the transformed market dynamics.
With the removal of the cap, television channels will have greater flexibility in determining the duration of advertisements.
The change is expected to help traditional broadcasters compete more effectively with digital media platforms for advertising revenue.
The amended rules will apply once formally notified in the Gazette. Until then, the existing 12-minute limit continues to remain in force.
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