TRAI Recommends Mandatory Licences for Live TV Streaming Apps, With Smart TVs Limited to Approved Apps

India's telecom regulator has recommended that apps which stream live television channels over the internet be brought under a government authorisation framework, and that smart TV makers allow only authorised apps on their devices. The proposal is not in force. It applies to live-channel apps, not to on-demand services such as Netflix.

What was proposed

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released its recommendations on Monday, October 26, 2026. They follow a December 2025 request from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), which will decide whether to accept them, according to MediaNama. Nothing takes effect until the government notifies a framework. TRAI consulted on the idea in April 2026 and received 207 comments, MediaNama reported.

TRAI calls the category "application-based linear television distribution", or ALTD. It covers apps, websites or similar interfaces on any device that stream TV channels on a fixed schedule, including free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services. MediaNama named Samsung TV Plus, YuppTV and Xiaomi's TV+ as examples. TRAI said in its recommendations, as quoted by MediaNama, "This is a regulatory gap, as any content that is broadcast in India should have oversight of the Central Government."

Who would be covered, and who would not

The recommendations exclude on-demand services such as Netflix, broadcasters' own apps showing only their own channels, and social media live streams, which remain under the IT Act, according to MediaNama. The reports we reviewed did not address YouTube directly, beyond the exclusion for social media live streams. The suggestion that Netflix and YouTube would have to pay more is therefore not supported by the proposal as reported. Services that mix live channels and on-demand content could face two sets of rules, and TRAI did not specify which existing services would need a licence, MediaNama noted.

What apps would have to do

• Licence. Apps would need authorisation under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, in the same family as DTH services. The reported terms are a Rs 1 lakh entry fee and Rs 10,000 processing fee, with a 20-year term renewable in 10-year blocks. TRAI recommended no further authorisation fee, bank guarantee or deposit.
• Approved channels only. Apps could carry only channels with valid government permission or registration. Internet-only channels would register with the ministry, and news channels would face tighter oversight.
• Indian entity. Applicants would need to be Indian companies or LLPs, so foreign firms would operate through an Indian entity.
• Reporting and data. Apps would file compliance reports every six months, appoint an Indian grievance officer and store certain user and payment data on servers in India, according to MediaNama.
• Ratings. Viewership on these apps would be brought into the television audience measurement framework.

What TV makers would have to do

TV manufacturers and operating system providers would not need a licence themselves. They would have to make only authorised apps available through their devices and app stores, remove unauthorised ones and file annual compliance reports, according to ANI and MediaNama. Indian Television reported that this includes pre-installation. MediaNama noted that TRAI did not say whether apps already preloaded on TVs sold today would have to be disabled if they fail to get licensed. Existing apps and channels would get one year after notification to comply.

The disagreements

MediaNama reported that the government has said the 2023 Telecom Act does not cover OTT services, and that a Department of Telecommunications official called excluding OTT "a conscious decision". TRAI argues these apps differ because viewers cannot choose what plays or when. Jio argues FAST is a form of OTT, and Sony argues these apps are users of telecom networks, not telecom service providers, and that the framework exceeds TRAI's powers. Data access by a "competent authority" is allowed without named safeguards, the report noted.

What happens next

The ministry could accept, change or reject the recommendations, and the reports gave no timetable. TRAI deferred pricing rules for pay channels on these apps, and service quality standards, until after the ministry finalises a framework.