Draft amendments to India’s disability rules could force OTT streaming platforms to adopt Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) accessibility requirements. This shift may impose significant costs, as platforms must retrofit thousands of hours of existing content to meet new standards. Larger streaming companies face a one-year deadline for initial non-negotiable provisions, with full compliance required within two years.
India’s streaming industry faces a potential rise in compliance costs as the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) has released draft amendments to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules, 2026. If implemented, these draft rules would mandate that online streaming platforms, referred to as online curated content providers, comply with strict Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) accessibility requirements for their digital content.
The core challenge for the industry lies in the requirement to retrofit existing content. Platforms currently host vast libraries of films and shows that were produced before these potential new standards were drafted. Updating these thousands of hours of content to include features such as audio descriptions, specialized subtitles, or sign language interpretation will require significant time, technical effort, and financial resources.
Adding to the operational complexity is the regulatory landscape. Streaming platforms are already governed by existing Information Technology Rules and accessibility guidelines issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). The new draft rules create an additional layer of oversight, and the government has specified that in the event of conflicting guidelines, the most stringent standard will prevail. This could lead to uncertainty for platforms trying to balance multiple sets of compliance requirements.
The proposed timeline for implementation is also tight. For larger entities with an annual turnover of ₹500 crore or more, the draft provides a one-year window to comply with non-negotiable accessibility provisions. Smaller establishments are allowed 18 months. Achieving full compliance with all prescribed standards is mandated within two years. For many platforms, this will involve revisiting old licensing agreements with content producers, which could be legally and financially complicated if the original contracts did not include provisions for these types of technical modifications.
Investors and stakeholders will likely monitor the final notification of these rules to understand the exact scope of the mandatory changes. The key monitorable for the sector will be how quickly platforms can scale their technical infrastructure to meet these deadlines and whether this leads to a meaningful impact on their operational expenses. Exemptions have been proposed for archived content that is not intended for active public use, which may provide some relief to platforms with extensive historical libraries.