Need for unified content rating system for digital to enhance advertisers’ confidence: Bharat Gupta

New Delhi: Representing the digital news industry, Bharat Gupta, CEO, Jagran New Media, suggested the I&B Ministry implement a new, unified content rating system for the digital platforms. 

He said, “This will provide standardised, transparent, and reliable performance metrics across digital platforms. This would enhance advertiser confidence and help content creators and distributors make informed decisions.”

Gupta highlighted several key challenges and provided suggestions for the government regarding the digital space during the CEO roundtable meeting on July 13, 2024. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry invited representatives from broadcasters, cable operators, DTH, radio, cinema, and other sectors to participate.

During the roundtable, he also recommended the ministry incentivise MSME brands to advertise digitally, with a focus on inclusivity across languages. 

Highlighting the contribution of the digital sector, Gupta said, “It adds a significant 25% of the total revenue in the Media & Entertainment space.”

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting held an industry stakeholder consultation roundtable meeting, chaired by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India. 

The meeting, part of the Curtain Raiser event for the inaugural World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), gathered insights on current challenges and regulatory issues faced by the entertainment and media industry to shape discussions at WAVES-2024. 

During the CEO Roundtable, Sanjiv Shankar, Joint Secretary, M/o I&B highlighted the global Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry's valuation at $2.32 trillion in 2022, emphasising India's potential for growth with a market valued at $26.2 billion. 

He said, “India, the seventh largest M&E market globally, is poised for significant expansion despite lower growth rates in leading markets like the US and China, which collectively dominate half of the global M&E sector.”