The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in India has removed over-the-top (OTT) players, or apps, from the definition of telecommunication services in the Telecom Bill, giving huge relief to communication service providers such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram. The DoT believes that the existing definition under the Indian Telegraph Act is good enough and there is no need to specifically put OTT in the new Bill. The Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) will be the nodal ministry to regulate OTT players, while the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) will be the nodal regulatory authority for broadcasting apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney Hotstar.

The current definition under the Telegraph Act covers all kinds of communications happening over a telecom network. The new Bill seeks to replace the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933, and the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1950. On the regulation of OTT communication players, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is also undertaking a consultation process. The recommendations of the regulator will be looked into by the government.