Over-the-top (OTT) platforms have gained prominence among the Indian audience in recent years. According to the latest ORMAX OTT Audience report, India has 54.73 crore OTT users, a growth of 13.8% compared to 2023 and a 55% rise since 2021. India’s OTT penetration stands at 38% of the country’s population. As per IBEF, the revenue for the Indian OTT market by players like Amazon, Netflix, and Hotstar is projected to grow from $1.8 billion in 2022 to $3.5 billion by 2027. OTT platforms allow users to broadcast various media content over the internet, like movies, web series, documentaries, and reality TV, through various devices by merely being connected to the internet and circumventing traditional cable and satellite television providers.

The web series Tandav released on Amazon Prime in 2021 sparked controversy for hurting religious sentiments, and the incident emphasised the demand for censoring content released on OTT platforms. Due to the growing popularity of these platforms, concerns about showing inappropriate content combined with the lack of regulation within the existing broadcasting-specific laws, the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (“OTTRules”) were introduced in 2021. These rules fell within the Information Technology Act of 2020.