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New Delhi, Jun 21 (PTI) Merely getting a licence from the Department of Telecom(DoT) to provide satellite communication services will no longer be enough, companies will need security clearance even after assignment of spectrum to roll out their services, according to draft rules issued by the government.

Satellite companies will get radiowaves without auction through an administrative process against a fixed annual fee in range of Rs 30,000 to Rs 50 lakh based on the service type per terminal basis and a non-refundable application fees of Rs 1000.

Though the companies will be assigned spectrum through administrative process, charges of radiowaves will be determined on the basis of market price.

The draft Telecommunications (Spectrum Assignment by Administrative Process) Rules, 2026 published by the the Department of Telecom also makes it conditional for satellite companies like Elon Musk-led Startlink, Bharti group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, and Jio Satcom to roll out satcom services for end consumers.

Satcom companies will need permission from the Centre before starting satellite phone and broadband services for the public.

"Provided that if the central government has issued a letter of intent prior to obtaining the applicable clearance for the installation of radio equipment, the spectrum assignment shall be granted, after such clearance has been obtained," the draft rules notified on June 17 said.

The rule mentions that companies will need security clearance for getting a letter of intent, which is issued before a company gets a licence. Satcom companies will then need spectrum allocation to start the service.

The DoT has given 30 days for interested parties to comment on the draft rules.

The rule bars satcom companies from connecting its telecommunications network with public telecommunication networks, including public switched telephone networks that are traditional landline connections, public land mobile network, global mobile personal communication (satellite phone services) by satellite, or internet, without permission of the government.

"This notification paves the way for provision of satellite-based services by licensees of various satellite services. As far as provision of satellite-based services to the public is concerned, further approval of the central government will be required. It may be related to the security concerns related to such services," Former Principal Advisor of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) Satya N Gupta said.

Former CMD BSNL and data centre company Submer India Head Anupam Shrivastava said the new draft rules in draft spectrum rules are a big help for BSNL.

"Allowing the company to get spectrum first and handle paperwork later will cut down red tape and speed up network rollouts. The low 1 per cent revenue charge for satellite phone services is also a great move for remote connectivity. However, because BSNL must now pay auction-linked market prices and reapply for spectrum when it expires rather than getting an easy renewal, the company will need to be highly disciplined with its budget and long-term planning," he said. PTI PRS TRB

New Delhi, Jun 21 (PTI) India's digital connectivity sector continues to demonstrate strong growth prospects but faces a range of challenges, including evolving regulatory frameworks, changing technology, intensifying competition and macroeconomic cues, according to industry overview outlined in Jio Platforms' draft prospectus that cites Analysys Mason report.

The section takes note of "a heightened competition" with global technology firms in digital services, and underscores the need for the company to stay ahead through continuous innovation and differentiated offerings that deliver greater value to consumers.

"While India's digital connectivity sector continues to exhibit strong growth potential, it also faces a range of structural, regulatory, and operational challenges that could affect its long-term sustainability and profitability," as per the industry overview, which also cites Analysys Mason report.

Key risks stem from global macroeconomic headwinds, evolving regulatory frameworks, intensifying competition, and rapid technological change.

Drawing attention to "intensifying competitive landscape", it says the digital connectivity industry has faced pressure from new entrants, infrastructure or spectrum sharing among competitors and consolidation among telecoms operators in India.

Technology-focused investors have backed, and may in the future invest in certain competitors, which could confer strategic and captive technological advantages, it further noted. The competitors could provide aggressive pricing in the market, including free or heavily discounted services.

"In digital services, there is a heightened competition with global digital technology companies so the products offered by Jio need to consistently stay ahead of the curve on both innovation and value proposition to consumers," it said.

Remaining competitive in this digital connectivity and services industry, requires companies to continually upgrade their services and, at times, rebuild parts of their infrastructure -- efforts that need significant capital and access to enabling technologies, including integration with existing systems and the phasing-out of legacy platforms, as per the industry overview.

Adoption of new technologies and continuous innovation is required for sustained customer acquisition and retention and growth in this industry.

A case in point, it said, is satellite-based connectivity that has been touted as the potential next disruptor in digital connectivity technology.

"However, it is unlikely to scale significantly in India's current connectivity landscape, because of rapidly strengthening FWA deployment that offers fibre-like performance with relatively low installation and usage costs for consumers. Satellite technology is not likely to be able to compete with FWA on pricing," it said, but added that satellite is relevant for specialised use cases in remote or hard-to-reach locations where terrestrial roll-out is challenging.

It also drew attention to cyber security and technology risks, noting that rising cyber attacks and data privacy risks alongside growing digital transformation would require digital connectivity providers to ensure robust security measures, take measures for data privacy, and proactively assess infrastructure vulnerabilities.

Ensuring robust security measures, data privacy, and system reliability is key to maintaining user trust and abiding by applicable regulatory standards.

It said while potential changes in the licensing framework and spectrum provisioning framework (including spectrum pricing) could present challenges to the growth of the digital connectivity sector, data localisation and data privacy requirements for digital services companies could also provide new avenues of growth for Jio's business.

"An economic slowdown could reduce spending on premium digital connectivity services, thus stagnating ARPUs (average revenue per user) and enterprise spending on digital connectivity and services," it pointed out. PTI MBI TRB

Mumbai, Jun 21 (PTI) Helmet maker Steelbird Hi-Tech India has said the premium segment is expected to account for 20 per cent in the company's overall topline by 2032 as it sees demand growing for its niche brands.

In the last fiscal year, the company clocked a revenue of Rs 869 crore, with the premium segment contributing less than 5 per cent, said SteelBird Hi-Tech Managing Director Rajiv Kapoor.

He also said the company is aiming to double its helmet production capacity to 2.5 crore in the next five years, along with a topline of Rs 2,500 crore, besides plans to invest Rs 500 crore in the capacity expansion over this period.

Steelbird Hi-Tech has seven manufacturing facilities in Himachal Pradesh besides three in Noida (Uttar Pradesh) and an R&D facility besides an office in Italy.

It serves the helmet market under various brands and across segments, including premium range.

"Premium segment (currently) is not so big. It will not be even 5 per cent of the total market. But it is growing and I think in the next few years (by 2032) premium helmet market share will be approximately 20 per cent," Kapoor said.

He said the company already has a premium brand ignite, which is its most premium helmet, and these helmets start from Rs 3,000 onwards.

"We are also planning to launch a carbon fibre helmet, produced with EPP technology (extended polypropylene) under the Ignyte brand, priced at Rs 15,000," he said.

The company also plans to launch air light helmets, which are the lightest helmets in the world, he said, adding that "this is all coming in the Ignite brand. So, Igyte brand will be competing with the top brands of the world".

Earlier this year, Steelbird announced that it is increasing its daily production capacity to 60,000 helmets to cater to the rising demand, and this production boost comes on the back of ongoing automation, process optimisation, and capacity enhancement initiatives across its manufacturing facilities. PTI IAS TRB

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New Delhi, Jun 21 (PTI) The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Sunday said it has imposed penalties of Rs 1 lakh each on Storia Foods and Beverages Pvt Ltd and Mrs Bectors Food Specialities Ltd -- the maker of English Oven bread -- for running misleading advertisements that used the expression "100%" on food products that did not meet that claim.

The authority also directed both companies to immediately pull down the impugned claims from product packaging, official websites and all digital platforms, it said in a statement.

"The expression '100%' is a precise and absolute numerical qualifier and cannot be used loosely, approximately or as a marketing slogan," the CCPA said, adding that any such claim must correspond exactly with the actual composition of the product.

In the absence of any statutory definition permitting a qualified interpretation, the term must be understood in its plain and literal sense by an ordinary consumer.

The CCPA took suo motu cognizance of Storia Foods' advertisements claiming "100% Tender Coconut Water" as well as juices described as 100 per cent pomegranate, mixed fruit, mango and guava chilli. The products were promoted on the company's website, product packaging and across e-commerce platforms, including Amazon, Flipkart, BigBasket, Blinkit, JioMart and Zepto.

Investigators found that the ingredient list for the flagship product told a different story: the drink was made from water and coconut water concentrate (9.6%), reconstituted to be "equivalent" to 100% coconut water. The word "reconstituted" appeared only in fine print in the ingredient panel -- not prominently disclosed alongside the headline claim.

The product also contained the Class II preservative INS 202, which the CCPA said made a concurrent claim of "100% Natural" wholly untenable.

The CCPA examined English Oven advertisements published in a newspaper and across the company's website, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and product packaging.

The ads carried claims such as "100% Atta Bread", "100% Whole Wheat Bread", "Naturally rich in whole grains with 100% whole-wheat flour" and slogans like "The taste of 100% Wholesome Happiness".

Videos carrying these claims had together clocked over 50 lakh views as of April 23, 2026.

During proceedings, the company itself admitted that its bread products contained only 87 per cent whole wheat flour -- a figure the CCPA found irreconcilable with the "100%" claim.

The authority also flagged the simultaneous use of "100% Whole Wheat Bread" and "Zero Maida" on packaging, noting that the combination created a cumulative --” and false -- impression that the product was composed entirely of whole wheat flour.

Notably, Mrs Bectors itself acknowledged during the hearing that the dual representation appeared "redundant in nature".

Mrs Bectors argued that "100% Atta" was intended only to convey that wheat flour was the sole grain source used, not a claim about the total composition.

The CCPA rejected the defence outright. Advertisements, it held, must be assessed from the perspective of a reasonable consumer -- and technical or post-facto interpretations offered by advertisers cannot override the impression created on buyers. If a representation is capable of misleading consumers, the advertiser's intent is irrelevant.

The CCPA reiterated that all claims relating to composition, quality, nutrition or health benefits must be truthful, verifiable and non-deceptive, and said it would continue enforcement action wherever consumers are misled about the nature or composition of products.

Both orders were passed under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements, 2022. PTI LUX TRB

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Mumbai, Jun 21 (PTI) Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming central to human resource management, with 60 per cent of professionals surveyed saying it is now a top focus across HR functions, while another 15 per cent reported its growing importance in areas such as recruitment and onboarding, according to a survey-based report.

The 'AI As The New HR Priority -- Efficiency, Cost and Workforce Impact' report is based on a survey among 1,811 HR professional across industries conducted between May 7-31.

Over 60 per cent of professionals believe AI is now a top priority across HR functions, while another 15 per cent say it is becoming a growing priority across recruitment, onboarding, routine HR operations, workforce staffing and HR solutions firm Genius HRTech DigiPoll Survey, 'AI As The New HR Priority - Efficiency, Cost and Workforce Impact' has revealed.

According to the findings of the report, 60 per cent of respondents identified improving efficiency and productivity as the primary reason for AI adoption, followed by 20 per cent who believe organisations are leveraging AI to reduce costs and optimise workforce management.

It found that AI is already transforming day-to-day HR operations, with 42 per cent of respondents reporting significant improvements in the speed and efficiency of HR processes and another 29 per cent noting moderate gains, indicating that automation is making recruitment, onboarding and employee services faster and more seamless.

Beyond efficiency, AI is also influencing workforce structures as 42 per cent of professionals believe AI is reducing reliance on manual or repetitive roles, while 37 per cent feel it is enabling smarter workforce planning, signalling a shift towards technology-enabled, skill-first organisations.

"Successful AI adoption is not about replacing people, it is about empowering them. Businesses that combine intelligent automation with human expertise, transparency and ethical governance will build stronger, more resilient workplaces," Genius HRTech Chairman R P Yadav said. PTI SM TRB

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