DNPA Conclave 2026: Evolving regulations a big enabler for innovation in news media | India News
At our Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) Conclave 2026, industry leaders and policy experts come together to discuss the country’s current regulatory environment and the impact it has on the media industry and publishers. Speaking on the question of whether conditions act as a deterrent or a survival mechanism for publishers, Rajneesh Gupta, partner and leader, EY India, said, “It depends on the lens through which you look at it.” It’s important to understand that the outcome of each policy is going to be different for everyone, he stressed, saying “We’re in an evolving space, it’s not set. If you’re a platform, for example, you’re not going to like the guidelines that come out about these intermediaries. Where you see from the shoes of digital media, in the age of AI, deepfakes, credibility of work, research and authenticity are questioned. Reflecting on his journey through various media platforms, Shivnath Thukral, VP Public Policy and Government Affairs, PhonePe (former VP Public Policy at Meta), says after working through various mediums, “I can hardly complain that the policy hasn’t worked.” “There must be a reason why all platforms like Facebook, Google and India have the largest market base. There must be a reason that the RBI is working to enable policies with the help of the Indian government. India has the largest digital payment ecosystem,” he added, adding, “Regulation follows innovation. The regulation of the digital ecosystem, including digital media, is very much in place.“Supreme Court lawyer Vivek Narayan Sharma Supreme Court lawyer Vivek Narayan Sharma said, “There is no question of regulation and there is no question of governance, for a good economy and a stable economy there must be regulation. If they are not in place, everything will fall apart, everyone will do what they want and there will be no control.”Sharma also addressed an important question of how much control there should be and to what extent. He said, “Regulations should be applied with the barometer of fundamental rights provided in the Constitution. So these are very important regulations to regulate with the end so that people can conduct their business.”Adding another perspective, Pawan Duggal, founder and chairman of the International Commission on Cyber Security Law, says, “Don’t wait for regulation.” He added, “The current regulations are neither sufficient, nor sufficient, nor can be said to be over-regulation.”Talking about the new rules introduced by the Center to deal with AI content, Duggal said, “They will not be enough, so if you think that this is the end of the rules on this, it is not… but we have to make sure that we follow the rules that already exist.”
