The central government has approved a Digital Advertising Policy 2023 that will be applicable to websites, OTTs and other digital platforms like podcasts. Central Bureau of Communications is an important advertising wing of the Government of India to conduct campaigns in the digital media sector. This policy will prove to be important in the mission of the Central Bureau of Communications (CBC) to spread awareness about various schemes and policies of the Central Government.
This policy will help in providing targeted ads effectively in the digital world. In the last few years, there has been an increase in the number of people connecting to the Internet, social and digital media platforms across the country. According to TRAI's Indian Telecom Service Performance Indicator January-March 2023, internet penetration in India is over 880 million by March 2023 and the number of telecom subscribers is over 1172 million by March 2023.
This policy will enable CBC to empanel agencies and organizations in the OTT and Video on Demand space. CBC will also be able to take advantage of the growing number of listeners on podcasts and digital audio platforms through the Digital Audio Platforms Panel.
New policy rules
CBC has divided the website and mobile app into four categories. Sites and apps with more than 20 million unique users will be in the A+ category, while those with 10 to 20 million users will be in A, 5-10 million in B and 0.25-5 million in C category. The podcast will require five lakh unique users. Apart from rationalizing its process of listing internet websites, CBC will also be able to disseminate its public service campaign messages through mobile applications for the first time. CBC will also pay money to the website and app in exchange for advertising.
At present, almost all the Ministries/Departments of the Government of India have their own social media handles, through which infographics and videos are produced on a large scale and their reach is limited to the subscribers of the handle. This reach of government ministries and departments will be extended to the Central Bureau of Communications, the media wing of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the designated organization for releasing advertisements through all types of media.
About CBC Information
CBC works under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and is responsible for creating awareness and disseminating information about various government programmes, schemes and policies in India. CBC is committed to adapting to the changing media landscape and adopting new technologies to reach a broader audience. It was established on 8 December 2017 by the integration of the erstwhile Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), Directorate of Regional Publicity (DFP) and Song and Drama Division (S&DD).
With 23 Regional Offices (ROs) and 148 Field Offices (FOs), CBC is engaged in the process of educating both rural and urban people about the policies and programs of the Government to awaken their participation in developmental activities. The Bureau runs various campaigns in this direction using various means of communication such as print media advertisements, audio visual campaigns, dissemination through exhibitions, outdoor campaigns and digital media etc.