TRAI Backs Proposal to Merge DoT, I&B, and IT Ministries: Report

India’s telecom regulator (TRAI) is in favour of consolidating the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) under a single umbrella body to streamline governance in the rapidly converging digital ecosystem, BusinessLine reported, citing sources.

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Industry Voices Align with Consolidation Move

The proposal, which has also received backing from industry stakeholders, aims to address overlapping regulatory responsibilities, particularly in areas such as telecom services, app-based platforms, and over-the-top (OTT) content providers. The move is in line with global trends where several countries have adopted integrated frameworks to manage convergence across communication technologies.

“Other countries have also made similar moves toward convergence. It can help resolve some of the overlaps in these sectors,” a top official from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was quoted as saying in the report. This includes overlaps between telecom service providers and app-based platforms, as well as regulatory responsibility for OTT channels, among other issues.

Parliamentary Panel Recommends Unified Ministry

In March, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology, in its eleventh report, recommended the formation of a unified ministry to enhance coordination and policymaking in light of technological convergence. It also proposed the creation of a Media Council to oversee all forms of media—print, broadcast, and digital—under a single regulatory structure to ensure coherent implementation of laws.