Taking a page from the new institutionalism school of thought, this article argues that institutions matter and that understanding institutions- both formal and informal- is crucial in understanding policy outcomes especially in the field of telecom policy making in India and China. The authors analysed telecom policy making in India and China using 2 specific case studies- introduction of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) in China and the implementation of Conditional Access System (CAS) in India. An institutionalist perspective and Kingdon’s Multiple-Streams Framework (see below) were used to analyse the formal structures, rule-making procedures and interest groups involved in telecom policy making in the 2 countries. Using the above-mentioned methodology, the authors showed that telecom policy making in India represents a “classical textbook case of incremental policy making” while the model that evolved in China represents non-incremental policy-making characterized by “inter-ministerial competition marked by deep-rooted political involvement, frequent bureaucratic bargaining” and significantly affected by macro-level political rearrangement. After analysing the policy making process in both countries, the authors recommended changes in the institutional structure of the regulatory agencies in both countries for them to be more effective: (i) the government should put more attention to the importance of public communication and […]