GST to be game-changer for media: Naidu

New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday said the Centres initiatives including GST will be a game changer for the media industry, particularly the broadcasting sector.

Speaking at a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India organised seminar here, Naidu said the broadcasting sector was at the threshold of entering into an era of digital broadcasting.

This would open opportunities to use latest technological innovations to enhance its reach and the quality of its reach.

The government's initiatives like Make in India, Skill India and Digital India campaigns were positive signals for new transformation including GST which would prove to be a game changer for Indian media and entertainment sector, especially the broadcasting sector, said Naidu.

"The revival of radio, digitisation of cable and the free to air DTH audience growth point to the latent demand for broadcasting in the Indian market at a time when broadcasting in advanced markets in the West is losing out significant space to digital on-demand media platforms," he said.

"The push towards Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) thus comes at a critical juncture as Doordarshan, the public broadcaster, looks to expand its DTT footprint from the current 16 cities to another 44," he said.

"The Digital India campaign along with the Make in India campaign would strengthen the industries such as video streaming, online music services and gaming in India taking advantage of the increased internet penetration," he said.

He assured the government's commitment towards providing an enabling environment through various policies for the further growth of the media sector.