Final OTT accessibility norms: MIB sets 36-month timeline, forms monitoring committee

New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has notified the final Guidelines for Accessibility of Content on OTT platforms for persons with hearing and visual impairment. 

It has given streaming services a 36-month implementation timeline, exempting live and deferred-live content, audio-only content (music/podcasts), and standalone short-form content, including advertisements. 

MIB has also put in place a compliance framework that includes quarterly reporting and a three-tier grievance redress mechanism culminating in a government-led Monitoring Committee.   

The guidelines were issued through an Office Memorandum dated February 6, 2026.

What OTT platforms must implement in 36 months

The final guidelines state that upon expiry of 36 months from publication, publishers of online curated content must, in a phased manner:

•  ensure all newly published content carries at least one accessibility feature each for hearing-impaired and visually-impaired viewers, namely Closed/Open Captioning or Indian Sign Language (CC/OC/ISL) and Audio Descriptors (AD)
• Prominently display content descriptors indicating accessibility features at the time of release, including for promotional audio-visual material
• Integrate and ensure accessibility features work across the user interfaces of their platforms 

The ministry has also encouraged OTT platforms to progressively provide accessibility features across their existing content libraries on a “best effort” basis. 

Accessibility features mandated: captions, audio description and ISL

The guidelines define “access services” to include subtitles, closed captioning, audio description and signing. 

It also standardises accessibility indicators that OTT platforms can use on their interface to help users identify accessible content:

 (AD) for audio-description

 (CC) for closed-captioning

 (ISL) for Indian Sign Language interpretation 

Captioning standards

The final guidelines lay down standards for closed and open captions. Captions must be accurate. They must capture dialogue, background music, and key sounds. They must be synchronised and readable. They must run from start to finish. They must follow correct spelling and grammar. They must not block key visuals or run off-screen. They should use mixed case. Italics are preferred over underlining. They must be legible with an appropriate font colour.

Audio description norms

For visually impaired users, OTT publishers are required to strive to provide audio descriptions in a “concise and comprehensible format” that fits into gaps in dialogue without distraction. 

The guidelines define audio description as narration of key visual elements, including scenes, settings, actions and costumes. 

Indian Sign Language (ISL) interpretation

For hearing-impaired users, the guidelines specify that ISL interpretation must be provided in picture-in-picture mode, be accurate and synchronised, and ensure viewers can see the interpreter’s hands and facial expressions. 

Mandatory accessibility across OTT user interfaces

The final guidelines make it explicit that accessibility is not limited to the content alone.

OTT publishers must ensure their platform user interfaces, including websites, mobile apps (iOS and Android), smart TV applications and desktop software, are compatible with assistive technologies. 

The document states that accessibility includes the audiovisual content itself as well as user interface components, on-screen information and interaction mechanisms, enabling users with disabilities to “independently perceive, navigate, and interact” with the service. 

Reporting requirements: Conformance report and quarterly updates

To track implementation, the guidelines require OTT platforms to submit an Accessibility Conformance Report for compliance with newly published content.

The first report will be due after 36 months, and thereafter, publishers must submit quarterly progress reports. 

Discoverability: Platforms must highlight accessible content

OTT publishers have also been directed to take steps to publicise accessible content and ensure that users can discover such content within the library.

This includes using accessibility indicators, thumbnails and exploring search filters to help users locate accessible programmes. 

The ministry has also encouraged the industry to collaborate with organisations working in accessibility for persons with disabilities. 

Exemptions: Live content, audio-only and short-form ads

The final guidelines acknowledge “technical and operational challenges” and exempt certain categories of content. The exemptions cover live and deferred live content and audio-only content, such as music and podcasts, and short-form content, including advertisements. 

The guidelines clarify that for short-form content, the exemption applies only to standalone short-form pieces and not to multiple segments or episodes that collectively form a longer content format. 

Monitoring and grievance redress: Three-tier structure

The final version also establishes a formal monitoring and complaint resolution mechanism.

MIB will constitute a Monitoring Committee chaired by an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary, which will meet every quarter and communicate its decisions to concerned entities. 

For grievances, the guidelines specify a three-tier structure:

• Level I: Self-regulation by publishers
• Level II: Self-regulation by self-regulating bodies
• Level III: Central Government monitoring 

A complainant can submit a grievance to the publisher by email or mail. The publisher must acknowledge the complaint within 24 hours and issue a decision within 15 days.

If the publisher fails to respond within 15 days, the grievance is escalated to the self-regulating body. If the complainant is dissatisfied, an appeal can be filed with the self-regulating body within 15 days, and then further escalated to the Monitoring Committee. 

India context: RPWD Act and IT Rules peg

The final guidelines are anchored in India’s disability rights framework.

The preamble references the RPWD Act, 2016, including Section 42, which requires the government to ensure accessibility of content in audio, print and electronic media, and enable access to electronic media through audio description, sign language interpretation and close captioning. 

The document also cites the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which require OTT publishers to take reasonable efforts to improve accessibility “to the extent feasible”. 

It also references an MIB advisory dated April 22, 2025, which had urged OTT platforms to comply with RPWD provisions while publishing content. 

Difference between draft and final version

The biggest shift from the draft to the final notification is the implementation timeline and the structure of compliance.

While the draft guidelines had proposed a shorter phased rollout, the final guidelines give OTT publishers a 36-month window before mandatory compliance kicks in for newly published content, accessibility descriptors and user interface integration. 

The final notification also clearly codifies exemptions for live, audio-only and short-form content, and formalises the compliance process through:

• A Monitoring Committee chaired by a Joint Secretary-level officer
• A three-tier grievance redress structure
• Mandatory conformance reporting after 36 months, followed by quarterly progress updates  

The 36-month timeline is likely to be seen as a major operational relief for OTT platforms with large libraries, while disability rights groups will watch closely for how aggressively platforms adopt accessibility features across existing catalogues during the transition period.