Quick answer: You need a live TV app license in India only if your app aggregates and streams scheduled TV channels. On 26 October 2026, TRAI recommended that apps distributing linear channels over the internet, including FAST services, get central government authorization. Pure video-on-demand apps, broadcaster apps carrying only their own channels, and social media live streams fall outside the proposal. In short: nothing is enforceable yet, because the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) still has to notify rules.
India’s streaming rulebook has had a gap for years. A cable operator or DTH company needs a government license to carry TV channels. An app on a smart TV doing almost the same job did not.
TRAI’s ALTD recommendations are its proposal to close that gap. If you are building a streaming business, the real question is not “is there a new rule?” but “which side of the line does my app sit on?” This guide helps you answer that in about five minutes. It builds on our practical guide to FAST channels and covers the legal side the technical guides leave out.
What did TRAI actually propose, and why now?
TRAI wants a new license category called Application-based Linear Television Distribution, or ALTD. It would sit under Television Channel Distribution Services in the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
The push came from the MIB, which asked TRAI in December 2025 to look at FAST services. Traditional distributors such as cable operators and DTH players had argued that apps were offering a TV-like service without TV-like oversight.
- 15 Dec 2025: MIB sends a reference to TRAI.
- 6 Apr 2026: TRAI publishes a consultation paper.
- 10 Jun 2026: Open House Discussion, after 207 comments and 11 counter-comments.
- 26 Oct 2026: Final recommendations released (PIB release).
- Next: MIB decides and notifies rules under Section 56 of the Act.
The tone of the final paper is “light touch”. The cable operators’ federation AIDCF had pushed for a ₹10 crore entry fee and revenue share (exchange4media). TRAI rejected that and kept entry costs low, which signals it wants to regulate the category without strangling it.
Is your app an ALTD service? The 60-second test
Work through these five checks in order. The first “stop” you hit is your likely position under the proposal.
- Scheduled channels. If viewers pick titles and press play rather than tuning into the same program at the same time, you are a VOD app, likely outside ALTD. Stop.
- Channel ownership. If every channel belongs to you, your parent or your subsidiary, the broadcaster-owned exclusion likely applies. Stop.
- Social media hosting. If the stream lives on a platform such as YouTube or Facebook Live, social media live streams are excluded. Stop.
- One-off events. If you stream a single concert, match or conference rather than a 24×7 channel, you are not automatically ALTD; check with counsel. Stop.
- Aggregation. If your app brings several linear channels together for viewers in India, you are the core target of the proposal, FAST apps included.
Two traps to watch:
- Adding VOD does not take you out. TRAI’s scope covers channel apps whether or not they also offer on-demand content (The Policy Edge).
- Calling it an OTT app does not decide anything. What you distribute decides it, not what you call it.
How does the proposal apply to different streaming businesses?
The same rule lands very differently depending on the business model. Here is how the proposal would likely read for five common Indian streaming setups.
| Business | What it streams | Likely position | First thing to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional film subscription app (Tamil, Malayalam, etc.) | Movies and series on demand | Outside ALTD | Content licenses, IT Rules compliance |
| Devotional FAST app on smart TVs | 24×7 temple and bhajan channels from several trusts | Inside ALTD | Each channel’s permission or registration status |
| Sports academy live-streaming its own tournaments | One-off live events | Not automatically ALTD | Whether events become a scheduled channel |
| Regional TV network’s own app | Only its own licensed channels | Excluded (own channels) | Ownership structure of every channel carried |
| Creator launching a 24×7 cooking channel on its own app | One internet-native linear channel | Channel registration route; app may need ALTD | Non-news rule and Indian distribution agreement |
The pattern: risk rises the moment you carry other people’s channels on a schedule. A single brand’s on-demand library is the lowest-exposure model. If you are weighing those two models, our guide on how to create your own TV channel app compares them.
What would an ALTD license cost, and what would you owe?
The money is modest. The operating duties are the real commitment.
| Item | App provider (ALTD authorization) | Internet-native channel (registration) |
|---|---|---|
| Processing fee | ₹10,000 | ₹10,000 |
| Entry / annual fee | ₹1 lakh, one-time | ₹1 lakh per channel, per year |
| Validity | 20 years, renewable in 10-year blocks | 10 years |
| Recurring license fee, bank guarantee, security deposit, net-worth floor | None | Not applicable |
| Content limits | Carry only authorized or registered channels | Non-news and current affairs only |
Duties for an authorized app provider:
- Channel hygiene: carry only channels with valid government permission or registration.
- Grievances: act as the viewer’s first point of contact, with a named grievance officer.
- Reporting: file compliance reports, including six-monthly returns.
- Ratings: feed viewership into India’s TV audience measurement system.
- App stores: expect TV makers and OS providers to list only apps found in the MIB’s Master ALTD App Repository (Business Standard).
That last point matters most for distribution. If it becomes law, an unauthorized FAST app could simply disappear from smart TV app stores, which would also affect the platform deals covered in our guide to getting your FAST channel on Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi and Prime Video.
All figures are TRAI’s proposals, not current charges.
What should you do before the rules are final?
You do not need to pause your launch. You need to launch in a way that is easy to bring into compliance later.
- Map your channel list. For each channel, note the owner, permission status, genre (news or non-news) and distribution rights for India.
- Paper your agreements. Make sure content contracts say who holds which rights, and who is responsible if a channel loses its permission.
- Name the operating entity. Decide which company runs the app and handles viewer complaints. That entity is the likely applicant.
- Build reporting in from day one. Channel-level viewership, complaint logs and a clean content audit trail are far cheaper to set up now than to retrofit.
- Watch the MIB. Track the draft rules, the online portal, the app repository and any transition window.
Where Flicknexs fits
Flicknexs provides a white-label OTT platform for launching branded VOD, live streaming and linear TV services on web, mobile and smart TV apps. It gives you the scheduling, playout, EPG, monetization and analytics layers that a channel business needs, so the reporting duties above are a configuration task rather than a rebuild.
To be clear, Flicknexs is a technology provider. Using it does not grant ALTD authorization, channel registration or content rights; those stay with the business running the service.
Planning a FAST or linear TV launch? See how Flicknexs launches FAST channels, or create your own OTT platform and start a free trial to test channel scheduling on your own content.
More on launching a FAST or linear TV channel
- What are FAST channels? A practical 2026 guide
- OTT playout platform: launching your own TV channel
- How to launch a FAST channel in 2026, step by step
- FAST channel economics: revenue per viewing hour
Key Takeaways
- TRAI’s 26 Oct 2026 paper proposes a license for apps that aggregate scheduled TV channels, FAST included.
- VOD-only apps, broadcasters’ own-channel apps and social media live streams are outside the proposed scope.
- Proposed cost: ₹10,000 processing plus ₹1 lakh one-time, with no recurring fee.
- Smart TV and OS makers may have to block unauthorized channel apps.
- Nothing applies until the MIB notifies rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a license needed for a live TV app in India right now?
No ALTD-specific license exists yet. TRAI has only recommended one; the MIB must notify rules before it applies.
What does ALTD stand for?
Application-based Linear Television Distribution: delivering scheduled TV channels through apps, websites or smart TV interfaces over the internet.
Will my Netflix-style VOD app need ALTD authorization?
Not for on-demand content alone. If you add scheduled third-party channels, that part needs assessing.
Are FAST apps like Samsung TV Plus covered?
FAST services are named in the recommendations, so FAST apps serving Indian viewers are central to the proposal.
How much will ALTD authorization cost?
TRAI proposes a ₹10,000 processing fee and a one-time ₹1 lakh entry fee, with no annual license fee, bank guarantee or deposit.
Can I run a 24×7 news channel only on the internet?
Not through the proposed internet-native channel route, which is limited to non-news and current affairs content.
Does streaming a cricket tournament live count as ALTD?
A one-off event stream is not automatically ALTD. A permanent scheduled sports channel could be.
Who applies: my OTT tech vendor or my company?
The entity operating the app and distributing channels is the likely applicant, not the software vendor.
