India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has ordered ISPs to block access to 25 streaming platforms – including the former ALTBalaji, now called ALTT – for obscene, vulgar or pornographic content. 

The move is said to be India’s largest coordinated crackdown on OTT content and is being seen as the direct result of the failure of the previous voluntary self-regulation system. 

The 23 July order covers 26 websites and 14 apps. Observers say this demonstrates a pivot from self‑regulation toward enforceable bans.

Other platforms include adult platform Ullu, founded by entrepreneur Vibhu Agarwal, who launched the Ullu Coin just before the streaming ban was announced. Launching the coin, he said in a LinkedIn post that ULLU was “not just a platform, but a global digital ecosystem”. Agarwal also founded mythological/religious streaming platform, Hari Om. 

Sanctioned apps also include Desiflix, Mojflix, Big Shots App and MoodX. 

MIB cited violations of India’s Information Technology Act of 2000 and 2021 IT Rules, 2021 in that they host sexually explicit material that undermines India’s cultural and moral values. 

The MIB also told a Parliamentary Standing Committee that sanctioned platforms had in the past reappeared under new names/ IP addresses. 

Consultations with various government and industry bodies were held prior to the ban’s publication. These included the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD).

Response was swift. 

“This. Done, anomaly corrected,”. Shiv Sena member of Parliament, Priyanka Chaturvedi, said on X after a months-long campaign against shows like Ullu’s reality series "House Arrest", hosted by former "Bigg Boss" contestant Ajaz Khan. The series featured contestants gathered in a villa and challenged to perform increasingly explicit tasks. At the beginning of May, Chaturvedi  posted a clip from the new series, saying she had raised the issue in the standing committee and was awaiting a response. 

“This is great news,” she said after last week’s ban, again singling out Ullu and ALTbalaji as among the worst offenders. “I welcome it and will continue to raise my voice for accountability,” she said. 

In a guest column for trade platform exchange4media, IN10 Media Network’s COO for regional content, Anup Chandrasekharan, said the OTT crackdown was “cultural correction” rather than censorship and had come “not a moment too soon”. In a blistering attack, he described an environment of “sleaze disguised as bold storytelling” and said “vulgarity was being monetised and engagement gamed... Platforms meant to democratise content were instead becoming vehicles for cheap gratification”.  

Sonu Tyagi, founder of Go Spiritual & Approach Entertainment, applauded the ban, putting out a statement that called the move a “monumental step toward safeguarding our society” and a “victory for Bharat’s youth”. He said the action “sends a powerful message that India’s digital space will not be a breeding ground for obscenity or cultural sabotage”.