Guwahati: The Centre has removed the 12-minute-per-hour limit on television advertisements, with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting notifying the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2026 in the Gazette on August 21.
Under the amendment, Rule 7, sub-rule (11) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, has been omitted. The provision had restricted television channels from carrying more than 12 minutes of advertisements in an hour.
The advertisement limit was introduced in 2006, when India’s television broadcasting landscape was considerably smaller. According to the Ministry, there were only 62 TV channels at the time, compared with more than 900 channels currently.
The Ministry said the television distribution sector has undergone major changes since the cap was introduced. Cable television, which was predominantly analogue in 2006 and had limited capacity, has since been fully digitised.
Consumers today have access to a much wider range of channels through digital platforms such as Direct-to-Home (DTH), cable television, Headend-in-the-Sky (HITS) and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). The government said these platforms can now carry hundreds of channels, giving viewers greater choice and increasing competition within the sector.
The Ministry also pointed to the television industry’s dependence on advertising revenue, covering both pay channels and free-to-air broadcasters. It said traditional television faced a disadvantage compared with digital media, where there is no equivalent statutory limit on advertising duration.
According to the government, increased competition within the television sector and between television and digital platforms has changed the market conditions that existed when the advertising cap was introduced.
The Ministry said removing the restriction would provide television broadcasters with greater flexibility, promote fair competition with digital media and support the government’s broader objective of improving ease of doing business.
With the amendment now notified, television channels will no longer be subject to the earlier statutory 12-minute-per-hour advertising duration limit under the Cable Television Networks Rules.