TRAI Issues Regulations Repealing 12-Minute Per Hour Television Advertisement Ceiling
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued a press release announcing "The Standards of Quality of Service (Duration of Advertisements in Television Channels) (Repealing) Regulations, 2026". The new notification repeals the decade-old 2012 regulations that enforced a strict ceiling of twelve minutes of commercial advertisements per clock hour across all broadcast television channels in India.
The regulatory move comes after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) published an Official Gazette notification on August 21, 2026, omitting sub-rule (11) of Rule 7 of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994. TRAI explained that the 2012 advertisement duration limits were originally implemented to monitor quality of service based on the statutory cable rules. With the Central Government formally removing the statutory cap to foster ease of doing business, encourage fair market competition, and adapt to evolving broadcasting technology and consumer preferences, TRAI determined that maintaining separate quality-of-service advertising limits was no longer necessary. The repeal takes immediate effect upon publication in the Official Gazette.
