The government has decided against including over-the-top (OTT) communication apps like WhatsApp, Skype, and Telegram under the licensing regime. This decision was influenced by the fact that OTT apps were excluded from the consultation process during the drafting of the Telecom Bill, making it impractical to subject them to licensing requirements.
Despite pressure from the Cellular Operators Association of India—which represents telecom giants such as Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea—to bring OTTs under the same regulatory framework as telecom services, several industry bodies opposed the move. Groups like the Internet & Mobile Association of India, Nasscom, Broadband India Forum, and the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum warned against imposing such regulations on OTT apps.
The Telecommunication Bill 2023, which introduced various reforms in the telecom sector, was passed by Parliament in December 2023. Initially, there was uncertainty about whether the bill would extend to OTT services. However, former communication minister Ashwini Vaishnaw later clarified that OTT apps are regulated under the Information Technology Act and would continue to be governed by that legislation.
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