NEW DELHI: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) chairman Rahul Khullar has said Trai was making efforts to move towards a lighter regulatory regime.

Khullar also said that India urgently needed a new convergence law for the industry to consolidate. As technology was advancing at a rapid pace, there is a need to respond to it accordingly and encourage use of new devices and technologies.

Also, it is imperative to create opportunities for providers of value added services and create for them an environment that is conducive for them to operate and grow.

Khullar pointed out that a lighter regulatory regime would take time "as there is legal ambiguity which needs to be dealt with and then trust has to be built."

"A regulator?s job is not to formulate radical policies. He responds to the policy framework provided by the Government, responds to the changes in market conditions and responds to the changes in technologies," he said.

On enforcement of regulation, Khullar said that if a regulation is implemented, he would ensure that it is enforced as well. at the session on ?Regulatory The Trai chairman felt now is the time for industries which are on the downside to look for opportunities in other sectors. The market should open itself to mergers and acquisitions and spectrum trading, he said.

Speaking on ?Enabling stakeholders consolidation towards sustainable growth?, Nikolai Dobberstein, partner - communications, media & technology practice at A T Kearney said the telecom industry holds a debt of Rs 1,860 billion and it was time for some operators to exit. In the aviation industry, Kingfisher had to face the option of either exiting the market or infusing capital. The telecom sector is also heading the same way, he said.

Dobberstein opined that spectrum should be made available easily including 3G and 4G and no constraints should be on acquisition of any spectrum. The government could also consider privatisation of MTNL and BSNL. He added that the National Telecom Policy - 2012 is a forward looking policy and it can take telecom to the next level if implemented successfully. He was speaking at the India Telecom 2012 conference, organised by FICCI in association with the Department of Telecommunications in the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology.

On ?Regulation to foster business environment and stimulate investment?, Suhail Nathani, partner at Economic Laws Practice, highlighted the opportunities in the world of internet. Internet contributes $30 billion to GDP and is projected to contribute $100 billion by 2015. Today, there are 120 million internet users and this number is estimated to reach half a billion by 2015.

To attract investments, the complexity in obtaining licenses needs to be reduced. Reduction in legal ambiguity in copyright laws and a strong underlying legal system for contractual enforcement is a must. Also, clarity in tax laws and a robust and consistent enforcement mechanism is required, said Nathani.

Raman Jit Singh Chima, senior policy analyst at Google, speaking on ?Regulatory Frameworks in the Internet Age?, remarked, "On internet, more than 76 hours of videos are uploaded per hour and 90 per cent of it becomes online within a minute and is accessible to everyone around the world. This shows how powerful internet is as a medium to share information and knowledge."

Chima said there is a need to promote broadband, meaningful access to the internet, increase bandwidth, connectivity and quality of services and must fulfill consumers? interest and win users? trust. Also, use of new technology must be encouraged and should promote entrepreneurship.

MUMBAI: Sab, the family entertainment channel, is launching the second seasons of two of its silent comedy shows on 15 December.

?Chintu Ban gaya Gentleman? and ?Gutur Gu Season 2? will air every Saturday and Sunday at 8 pm and 8.30 pm respectively.

According to the channel, the two shows are similar in approach as they both explore the genre of silent comedy but different in concept and story line.

Sab EVP and business head Anooj Kapoor said, "This is the second season of Gutur Gu and Chintu Bang aya Gentleman. Gutur Gu season 1 was listed in the Limca Book of records for being world?s longest running silent comedy. Sab was the first and only channel to successfully produce silent comedies in India. These shows, made like others on SAB, will attract family audience while offering, once again, a unique and clutter breaking product experience."

?Gutur Gu Season 2? continues to have Bhavna Balsavar in one of the pivotal roles. The story revolves around her family and their antics.

Meanwhile, ?Chintu Ban gaya Gentleman? goes international and is all about Chintu, the lead protagonist, travelling to various countries and winning the hearts of the people he encounters with his charm.

MUMBAI: US media conglomerate News Corp has announced the appointment of Niklas Lagergren as Senior Vice President, Government Affairs for Europe, Middle East and Africa, effective 1 March 2013. Lagergren, who joins the company from the Motion Picture Association, will report to executive VP of Government Affairs Michael Regan.

In his new role, Lagergren will lead regulatory and public policy efforts for News Corporation and its broad portfolio of businesses operating across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He will be based in News Corporation?s new Brussels office.

Regan said, "Niklas brings to News Corporation a wealth of experience in the EU on issues critical to our businesses. We continue to build the reach and depth of our government affairs capabilities globally and Niklas? leadership of our Brussels-based operation will play a key role in maximizing our efforts."

Lagergren said, "I am very excited to embark upon this challenge and look forward to joining a strong government affairs team. For the last 10 years at the MPA, I have been both professionally and personally committed to representing the public affairs interests of media companies and I am now fortunate to be able to take my efforts to a new level by joining the leader in global media."

In addition, the company announced that Benjamin King has been named director, Government Affairs for Europe, Middle East and Africa, reporting to Lagergren. King most recently served as Public Affairs Manager for News International and was previously Head of Policy and Communications for the Publishers Association.

Lagergren served for more than a decade at the MPA, most recently as Vice President for EU Affairs. In this role, he was responsible for the government affairs strategy of the six major Hollywood studios at the EU level, focusing on policies around media, copyright, international trade, Internet governance, culture and e-commerce. He began his career at European Commission, where he held a number of positions at the Secretariat General before joining the FiSystem Web Agency, the team responsible for managing the EU?s Internet portal.