News Broadcasting
ISP license norms amended to permit VPN services
NEW DELHI: The department of telecommunications today, decided to extend the scope of the licence conditions of Internet Service Providers (ISP), thereby allowing them to provide managed Virtual Private Network services to corporates and individuals.
In accordance with the decision, the ISP licences (both licences without Internet telephony and with Internet telephony) will have an enabling provision for VPN services by ISPs under specified terms and conditions, according to a statement put out by the telecom ministry today.
The annual licence fee will be at 8 per cent of the gross revenue generated under the licence. The ISPs would be charged one-time non-refundable entry fee of Rs 100 million, RS 20 million and 10 million for category A, B, and C, respectively. ISP-with-VPN licensee will be permitted to lay optical fibre cable or use radio links for provision of the services in its service area.
Further, ISPs shall be free to enter into mutually agreed commercial agreement with infrastructure service providers for sharing of infrastructure. The ISPs, however, shall not engage in reselling bandwidth directly or indirectly.
According to the government, this decision will help as many 388 licensed ISPs, more particularly 61 all-India (category A) ISP licensees, to offer VPN services to their customers, thus adding to their revenue stream from Internet Access Services.
VPN is a service where a customer perceives to have been provided with a private network, which actually is configured over a shared public network. Benefits of VPN include secure communication over public network and guaranteed quality of service.
A high-level DoT committee had examined the matter and had observed that while on one hand such VPN services were not under the scope of the present ISP licences, on the other hand it would be desirable to permit ISPs to provide such services in the present day liberalised telecom environment in the country.
The services, which are technologically possible, should be allowed, while at the same time ensuring level playing field to all the service providers. Such VPN services that provide a platform for utilisation of bandwidth in a very cost effective and efficient manner are emerging services internationally. This facility is necessary for the corporate world in meeting their growing communication needs of inter-office connectivity to send/transfer data securely and such services are widely available in telecom sector globally.
News Broadcasting
Times Now Summit 2026 to convene top leaders as network marks 20 years
Policymakers, global voices and industry leaders gather to shape India’s roadmap to 2047
NEW DELHI: Times Network is turning 20 and using the moment to set the agenda for India’s next 25 years. The broadcaster will host the Times Now Summit 2026 on March 26 and 27 in New Delhi, bringing together a heavyweight lineup of policymakers, global leaders and industry voices under the theme “Celebrating Times Now @ 20, Shaping India @ 100.”
The two-day summit aims to move beyond rhetoric to results, with keynote addresses, panel discussions and debates focused on India’s growth story, its challenges and the road ahead. Designed as a platform for high-impact dialogue, the event will evaluate promises versus performance while spotlighting actionable solutions to accelerate the country’s trajectory.
The speaker roster reads like a power list. Amit Shah, minister of home affairs and minister of cooperation; Ashwini Vaishnaw, minister of railways, minister of information and broadcasting, and minister of electronics and information technology; Hardeep Singh Puri, minister of petroleum and natural gas; and Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, minister of civil aviation will headline discussions.
They will be joined by political leaders and public figures including Akhilesh Yadav, national president of Samajwadi Party and member of parliament; Manish Sisodia, former deputy chief minister of Delhi; Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of the Indian women’s cricket team; and Kriti Sanon, actor and entrepreneur, among others.
Global perspectives will come from Lindy Cameron, British high commissioner to India, and Juan Antonio March Pujol, ambassador of Spain, alongside other international voices.
Day one will also double up as a branding pivot for the network, with the unveiling of a new identity that positions Times Network not merely as a broadcaster but as a bridge connecting India to the world and the world to India in a continuous exchange.
The summit underscores Times Network’s ambition to remain at the centre of national conversations, curating dialogue that shapes policy, business and culture.
As India marches towards its centenary as an independent nation, the message from Times Now Summit 2026 is clear: the next chapter will be written not just in studios or boardrooms, but on platforms that bring power, policy and people into the same room — and force the future into focus.
