The Indian government has launched a sweeping crackdown on the streaming industry, blocking access to 25 online platforms in a single move that has sent shockwaves through the sector.
Late last week, the Indian parliament ordered Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to restrict access to these services, citing the distribution of indecent content. This isn’t about outright pornography — sites hosting explicit material were banned earlier — but rather any depiction of intimacy on screen, marking a stringent new threshold for digital content.
Among the casualties are major players like ALTT and Ullu, which have racked up millions of views with their Indian films and series. Their apps have already vanished from mobile stores, signaling a swift enforcement of the ban. What’s particularly striking is the indiscriminate nature of the blacklist, which includes both legitimate streaming services and “alternative” platforms known for edgier content. The latter have long operated in a gray zone, frequently shifting domains to evade restrictions, suggesting the ban may have little impact on them. However, for the big players with substantial revenues, the directive poses a serious threat.
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ALTT, a subsidiary of Balaji Telefilms, has faced scrutiny before for airing provocative series but had cooperated with authorities by blurring or editing contentious scenes. Despite this, the concessions seem to have been in vain. The government’s blanket approach has effectively smothered much of the licensed streaming industry, which had been a formidable competitor to global giants like Netflix and Disney+. In one fell swoop, India’s homegrown streaming ecosystem has been upended, raising questions about the future of digital entertainment in the country.
