India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) issued a formal notice to the instant messaging platform Telegram on July 4, requiring it to take stronger measures to combat pirated movies, OTT series and other copyrighted audio-visual content circulating on the platform and submit an "action report" within 15 days.
The notice follows an order issued on March 11 this year, when the MIB required Telegram to block more than 3,000 channels that disseminate pirated movies, web series, and audiobooks within three hours. The list is as long as 120 pages, involving works from Amazon Prime, SonyLiv, Jio Hotstar, ShemarooMe and other OTT platforms.
In a brief explanation, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting emphasized that this notice marks a shift in regulatory logic from "piecemeal removal" to "overall platform accountability."
The note pointed out that the government could previously identify and request the blocking of some pirated channels, but the platform "cannot just rely on the government to identify pirated channels one by one," but should proactively establish a more complete prevention and control mechanism.
Government emphasizes due diligence obligations under Information Technology Act
Although MIB did not disclose the full text of the notice to the media, the summary released to the public used quite strong wording, arguing that Telegram’s current approach of “passive, channel-by-channel removal” may not be enough to reflect its “duty of reasonable care” under the framework of the Information Technology Act 2000 and the Information Technology (Code for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021.
The government reminds Telegram that as an online intermediary, it has the responsibility to perform full due diligence under the provisions of the law and cannot base its compliance obligations entirely on external reports or government orders.
According to the brief, Telegram is explicitly required to strengthen the technical and management systems within the platform, including processes for detecting, reporting, restricting access to, and removing pirated content.
The notice also requires it to intensify its efforts to deal with repeated violators, covering not only channels and groups, but also repeat infringers such as robots (bots), accounts, administrators and entities associated with them.
In addition to content governance, the government also requires Telegram to disclose details of its grievance and complaint handling mechanism for film and television producers, OTT platforms, and law enforcement agencies.
This means that the platform needs to explain how rights holders and regulatory authorities submit complaints and feedback infringement clues through official channels, as well as the platform’s specific processes and service capabilities in acceptance, processing, and feedback.
Piracy highlighted as criminal offense
The notice specifically pointed out that copyright infringement is not only a civil offense in India, but also a criminal offense under the Copyright Act 1957 and the Cinematography Act 1952.
The government warned that if pirated content persists on the Telegram platform and there is incomplete rectification, inadequate response, or evasion of compliance, it may trigger further scrutiny and subsequent enforcement actions. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the move is aimed at protecting India's local "creator economy", including the film industry, broadcasters, OTT platforms, and related production and distribution parties, from online piracy.
The government believes that piracy not only erodes the return on investment of the content industry, but may also dampen creative enthusiasm and affect the healthy development of the entire cultural and entertainment ecosystem.
Second regulatory action against Telegram this week
This is the second regulatory action taken by the Indian government against Telegram this week. Previously, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had issued notices to Telegram, Signal and WhatsApp, questioning the risks that their "username" function may bring.
MeitY believes that establishing contact through usernames without revealing mobile phone numbers may increase risks such as counterfeiting, identity theft, phishing, and digital fraud, and requires relevant platforms to explain and rectify relevant design and protective measures.
Involved in NEET-UG 2026 question paper leak controversy
Telegram has also recently come under scrutiny in India for its involvement in the NEET-UG 2026 National Medical Entrance Exam question paper leak.
Before the re-examination, after the National Testing Agency (NTA) discovered that test questions and answers were suspected to be circulated through Telegram, the central government temporarily blocked access to the platform, triggering widespread public attention on the role and responsibilities of the platform in exam security.
As of press time, Telegram has not publicly responded to the media regarding MIB’s latest notice and request.
The Indian government continues to send signals through multiple channels, emphasizing its policy direction of combating online piracy, strengthening platform accountability, and protecting the creator economy.