Theme: Digital Economy | Regulating the digital space: How to strike the right balance for India’s telecom sector

The sectors that deal with communication in India are seeing a wave of regulatory changes. How will these new regulations affect these sectors? In this episode of the State of the Economy podcast, businessline’s Ayushi Kar and Rentala Chandrashekhar,Chairman, Centre for The Digital Future, Former Secretary Telecom and IT and former President, Nasscom, discuss critical issues in the realm of digital communications, regulations and the implications of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.  In the podcast, the panel discuss the debate on net neutrality, especially concerning Over-The-Top (OTT) players and balancing the interests of the telecom companies and OTT players. They also discuss the financial pressures face by telecom companies, pricing models and profitability. Rentala Chandrashekhar shares his opinion on the Personal Data Protection Act and how its impact on user privacy. He also describes how introducing regulation in this space is complex, especially due to its globalised nature, and some of the challenges associated with it. Overall, the conversation highlights the need for nuanced approaches to regulation, considering the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the evolving digital ecosystem. Listen in to gain insights about how policymakers can strike a balance between fostering innovation and protecting user interests. (Host: Ayushi Kar, Producers: Anjana PV, V Nivedita) ---- About the State of the Economy podcast India’s economy has been hailed as a bright spot amid the general gloom that seems to have enveloped the rest of the world. But several sectors continue to stutter even as others seem set to fire on all cylinders. To help you make sense of the bundle of contradictions that the country is, businessline brings you podcasts with experts ranging from finance and marketing to technology and start-ups.