New Delhi: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has brought Ernst & Young Private Limited (EY) on board as the official Project Management Consultant for India’s ambitious Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) broadcasting initiative. EY’s role includes shaping a national rollout strategy for the technology and proposing a sustainable revenue model that integrates seamlessly with existing public broadcasting services.
This appointment comes in response to directives issued by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology, which has urged the MIB to provide regular progress updates on the D2M project and ensure transparency in its implementation. A key expectation from EY is to ensure that the rollout strengthens, rather than disrupts, India’s current public broadcasting infrastructure.
D2M broadcasting technology aims to deliver linear and non-linear video content—including educational programming, emergency alerts, and over-the-top (OTT) content—directly to mobile devices. This is positioned as a supplementary model to traditional unicast networks and conventional broadcasting methods, with the potential to reduce network congestion and improve accessibility, especially in rural and remote areas.
The foundation for the D2M initiative was laid on June 1, 2022, with the release of a White Paper by IIT Kanpur, in collaboration with Prasar Bharati and the Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI). The document was launched during a national conclave on “Direct to Mobile and 5G Broadband – Convergence Roadmap for India” held at Prasar Bharati, Delhi.
To test real-world applications, Prasar Bharati and IIT Kanpur jointly carried out Proof-of-Concept (PoC) trials in Delhi, Bengaluru, and other cities. These trials explored the viability of the technology across various use cases and delivery architectures. The outcomes of these trials are now under review, with the Parliamentary Committee seeking greater clarity on performance metrics and deployment feasibility.
As the national rollout moves from concept to execution, EY’s strategic guidance is expected to be critical in navigating the technological, commercial, and regulatory complexities of this digital transformation.
