News aggregators, news agencies which supply information to digital media firms and companies uploading news and current affairs on websites will have to comply with the 26 per cent foreign investment cap, the government said on Friday according to a PTI report.
"These companies would be required to align their FDI to the 26 per cent level with the approval of the central government, within one year from the date of issue of this clarification", the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) said.
The categories are – entities uploading / streaming news and current affairs on websites, apps, other platforms; news agencies which gathers, writes and distributes/transmits news, directly or indirectly, to digital media entities and/or news aggregators; news aggregators which, using software / web applications, aggregates news content from various sources, such as news websites, blogs, podcasts, video blogs, in one location.Digital media, news aggregators, agencies need to comply with 26pc FDI cap: Govt
In August last year, the Union Cabinet approved 26 per cent FDI (foreign direct investment) under government route for uploading/streaming of news and current affairs through digital media, on the lines of print media, the report said.
A section of industry players and experts had stated that the move to cap FDI in digital media sector to 26 per cent throws up questions that need clarifications.
The department said that it had received representations from stakeholders seeking clarifications on certain aspects of this decision.
"After due consultations, it is clarified (that) the decision of permitting 26 per cent FDI through government route would apply" to certain "categories of Indian entities, registered or located in India," it said.
It also said that the compliance with the FDI policy would be the responsibility of the investee company.
The company would also have to adhere to certain conditions such as the majority directors on the board of the firm shall be Indian citizens; the chief executive officer shall be an Indian, the report added.
