The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued the Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable) Services Interconnection (Addressable Systems) (Seventh Amendment) Regulations, 2026. The Authority has introduced revised audit-related provisions to address stakeholder concerns around repetitive audits, infrastructure sharing and auditor accountability.
The regulator has incorporated technical proficiency requirements and categorisation of auditors based on experience through the Expression of Interest issued in August 2025 for empanelment. TRAI has also conducted stakeholder consultations through a consultation paper released in August 2024, receiving 64 comments and three counter-comments, followed by an open house discussion in December 2024. Subsequently, draft amendment regulations released in September 2025 have received 37 stakeholder comments before finalisation.
Under the amendments, TRAI has defined timelines for audits, requiring distributors to conduct audits on a financial year basis and submit reports to broadcasters by 30 September annually. Broadcasters have been allowed to depute representatives during audits and seek clarifications through DPOs in case of discrepancies, with auditors required to respond within a specified timeframe. If unsatisfied, broadcasters have been permitted to conduct independent audits at their own cost after obtaining approval from the Authority.
The amendments have enabled broadcasters to initiate audits if distributors fail to submit reports within the stipulated timeline. Distributors with fewer than 30,000 subscribers have been given the option to forgo annual audits at their own cost, while broadcasters have retained the right to audit such distributors independently.
TRAI has also introduced provisions related to infrastructure sharing, mandating separate system instances to enable entity-wise reconciliation. Infrastructure providers have been required to insert network logo watermarking at the encoder end for pay channels, while seekers have been directed to provide logos through STB or middleware systems, with a preference for limiting on-screen logos to two to maintain viewer experience.
The Authority has stated that an updated audit manual aligned with the revised framework has been scheduled for release shortly.
