Policy Framework Will Pave the Way for Wider Government Outreach in the Digital Era

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has approved a path breaking “Digital Advertisement Policy, 2023 to enable and empower the Central Bureau of Communication which is the advertising wing of the Government of India to undertake campaigns in the Digital Media Space. This policy marks a pivotal moment in CBC’s mission to disseminate information and create awareness regarding various schemes, programs, and policies of the Government of India in response to the evolving media landscape and the increased digitalization of media consumption.

The huge subscriber base in the Digital Universe, coupled with technology enabled messaging options through Digital advertisements will facilitate effective delivery of citizen centric message in a  targeted manner, resulting in cost efficiencies in public oriented campaigns. In recent years, the way audiences consume media has witnessed a significant shift towards the digital space. The Government of India’s Digital India program has led to a huge growth in the number of people in the country who are now connected to the internet, social and digital media platforms. As per TRAI’s Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators January–March 2023, the internet penetration in India as of March 2023, is over 880 million, and the number of telecom subscribers as of March 2023 is over 1172 million.

The Policy will enable CBC to empanel agencies and organisations in the OTT and Video on Demand Space. CBC will also be able to leverage the growing number of listeners to Podcasts and Digital Audio platforms through empanelment of Digital Audio platforms. Apart from rationalising its process of empanelling Internet Websites, CBC now for the first time will be able to channelize its public service campaign messages through Mobile Applications too. With Social Media Platforms becoming one of the popular channels of public conversations, the policy further streamlines the process through which CBC can place advertisements for government clients on these platforms. The policy also empowers CBC to empanel Digital Media Agencies to enhance its outreach through the various platforms.

The Policy also recognizes the dynamic nature of the digital landscape and empowers CBC to on board New and Innovative Communication Platforms in the Digital Space with the approval of a duly constituted committee. The CBC’s Digital Advertisement Policy, 2023, introduces competitive bidding for rate discovery, ensuring transparency and efficiency. Rates discovered through this process will remain valid for three years and will be applicable to all eligible agencies.

In today’s era almost all Ministries/Departments of the Government of India have a dedicated social media handles, which produces a large quantum of infographics and videos whose reach is limited to the subscribers of the handles. This outreach of government Ministries and departments will be further supplemented by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s Media Unit, Central Bureau of Communication which is the designated organisation for issue of advertisements through all forms of media. The Digital Advertisement Policy 2023 has been formulated after a wide raging discussions with multiple stakeholders and outlines the roadmap of enhancing the Digital Outreach of the Government of India and improve information dissemination to the Citizens.

The Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and is responsible for creating awareness and disseminating information about various government programs, schemes, and policies in India. CBC is committed to adapting to the changing media landscape and embracing new technologies to reach a wider audience.