TRAI Scraps 2012 TV Ad Duration Rules After Centre Drops 12-Minute Cap
TRAI has repealed its 2012 regulations on television advertisement duration after the government removed the 12-minute-per-hour advertising cap.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has repealed its 2012 regulations governing the duration of advertisements on television channels, weeks after the central government struck down the 12-minute-per-hour advertising ceiling.
The regulator issued the Standards of Quality of Service (Duration of Advertisements in Television Channels) (Repealing) Regulations, 2026, which scrap the 2012 framework along with all orders and directions issued under it.
The earlier rules had set a limit of 12 minutes of advertising in a clock hour of programming and gave TRAI powers to issue orders or directions to service providers to enforce compliance. They were introduced mainly to monitor and implement the advertisement-duration ceiling laid down in the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.
The repeal follows an August 21 notification by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting that omitted the provision prescribing the 12-minute cap under the Cable Television Networks Rules.
According to TRAI, the government removed the ceiling in view of changes in the television broadcasting sector, greater competition and consumer choice, and to promote fair competition and ease of doing business.
TRAI said that retaining its own regulations after the underlying government rule had been withdrawn would be inconsistent with the amended framework, which is why the 2012 rules have been repealed.