In a major move, the government today approved a “Digital Advertisement Policy, 2023 giving its nod to the Central Bureau of Communication — the advertising wing of the government — to undertake campaigns in the Digital Media Space. This policy marks a pivotal moment in CBC’s mission to disseminate information and create awareness regarding various schemes, programs, and policies of the Centre in response to the evolving media landscape and the increased digitalization of media consumption.

The huge subscriber base in the Digital Universe, coupled with technology enabled messaging options through Digital advertisements will facilitate effective delivery of citizen centric message in a  targeted manner, resulting in cost efficiencies in public oriented campaigns. In recent years, the way audiences consume media has witnessed a significant shift towards the digital space.

The government’s Digital India programme has led to an exponential growth in the number of people in the country who are now connected to the internet, social and digital media platforms. As per TRAI’s Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators January–March 2023, the internet penetration in India as of March 2023, is over 880 million, and the number of telecom subscribers as of March 2023 is over 1172 million.

The CBC’s Digital Advertisement Policy, 2023, introduces competitive bidding for rate discovery, ensuring transparency and efficiency. Rates discovered through this process will remain valid for three years and will be applicable to all eligible agencies.

Almost all ministries and government departments have dedicated social media handles, which produces a large quantum of infographics and videos whose reach is limited to the subscribers of the handles.

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