New Delhi: Despite the digital revolution, television in India remains alive and powerful. In Delhi and Mumbai, many influential people assume that no one watches TV anymore or reads newspapers or books. Senior government officials and corporate managers disconnected from ground reality often repeat this belief. I have always disagreed. Even those who believe only official government or corporate data will find that the numbers clearly affirm the message of 2025 — television is still alive, reaching 230 million homes and 900 million viewers. No wonder Russian President Vladimir Putin chose to give interviews to India’s TV news channels Aaj Tak and India Today just a day before his India visit. In earlier years too, he spoke to NDTV in 2002 and Doordarshan in 2007. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on radio is relayed by most news channels, and ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, he gave a record number of interviews to national and regional TV channels, besides appearing frequently at their events. Direct communication with the public rarely gets a more effective medium than this.
Government and corporate managers must also note the steady growth in the media and entertainment sector. Its revenue has risen from 2.5 lakh crore to 2.7 lakh crore rupees, proving that while the economic model is evolving, it remains strong. Print media too showed growth in the first half of 2025 with a 2.77 percent rise in circulation, reaffirming that trust still exists. Amid all this, the biggest threat and opportunity lie in digital platforms, where regulation, technology and digital literacy will determine whether the coming decade becomes healthy for media and democracy. The media ecosystem’s transformation, long visible to many observers, became sharper in 2025. Traditional television continues to enjoy wide reach and credibility, while digital platforms — OTT, social media and news apps — draw audiences and advertising. This duality is reshaping audience behaviour, revenue patterns and the structure of control across media organisations.
Industry reports show that total TV screen count was around 190 million in 2024, projected to reach 214 million by 2026 — reflecting millions of new screens each year. Government reports indicate that 230 million households were connected to TV networks in 2025, with nearly 900 million people having TV access. This vast base makes television the most effective medium for public information, especially in rural and semi-urban areas with limited broadband or internet penetration. TV, particularly news, state programmes, regional serials and religious or rural content, continues to reach communities whose digital access remains relatively low. Younger audiences may lean toward digital, but this does not negate TV’s enduring dominance.
Many people overlook that while mobile phones have reached deep into India’s poorest communities — with reportedly one billion devices in circulation — usage patterns differ. Street vendors, rickshaw pullers and domestic workers mostly use phones for basic communication, not to watch news or programmes. For school-going children, phones help with studies. Meanwhile, reliable ABC circulation data shows that in January–June 2025, daily newspapers achieved average qualifying sales of 29.74 million copies, compared to 28.94 million in July–December 2024 — a 2.77 percent rise of roughly 8.02 lakh copies. Readers continue to trust newspapers for local news, job information and regional reporting. In towns, villages and even cities, newspapers remain valued and useful. Success depends on prioritising changing reader interests and relevance. Leaders like Rahul Gandhi place heavy reliance on the digital revolution. It is worth recalling that aside from giving one interview to Arnab Goswami, he later gave interviews mostly to digital platforms like the YouTube channel Curly Tales. He held speeches and press conferences, often questioning journalists’ caste or ownership backgrounds, causing friction with the media. His interests — boxing and non-vegetarian food — contrast with the preferences of India’s largely vegetarian, traditional population, which remains more closely connected to legacy media.
While news consumption among the youth has increased on digital platforms, trust has declined. Reports from the Reuters Institute highlight widespread access to digital news in urban and youth demographics, but also rising risks of fake news and hate speech. Misinformation spreads rapidly through social media, messaging apps and viral videos. Encrypted messaging groups such as WhatsApp accelerate the circulation of rumours, where moderation and takedown mechanisms often fail. By 2025, AI-enabled audio and video editing tools have intensified threats of deception and mistaken identity, with inadequate regulatory safeguards. India’s regulatory framework still lacks provisions to counter these risks effectively. As digital regulation tightens, policymakers must balance freedom of expression with safeguards against misuse. Transparent oversight and strong appeals mechanisms will be essential.
The coming decade will depend on how India manages this balance — safeguarding the credibility of traditional media, strengthening trust in digital spaces and ensuring that technology enhances, rather than undermines, democratic communication.
