DTH
GST Bill, DTH and broadcasting
MUMBAI: When the The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill, 2014 was passed in the Rajya Sabha late Wednesday night, it heralded the rollout of the goods and service tax era in India. In the making for nearly 16 years it is estimated to inject an additional one to two points in growth to the world’s fastest growing economy.
GST, as envisaged by the government, is one indirect tax for the whole nation, which will make India one unified common market. It will subsume central excise duty, additional excise duty, service tax, additional customs duty commonly known as countervailing duty, and special additional duty of customs at the Central level. GST will also subsume state value added tax/sales tax, entertainment tax, central sales tax, octroi and entry tax, and purchase tax at the state level.
Last year when finance minister Arun Jaitley had tabled the Bill then for debate, indiantelevision.com had spoken to industry stalwarts. Videocon D2H CEO Anil Khera had at that stage opined: “GST is a welcome move. It will help the DTH sector to prosper. DTH is the biggest victim of multiple taxation policy and GST will simplify that. The industry needs a uniform taxation system and the sooner it comes the better it is.”
Speaking to CNBC TV18 on 2 August Dish TV chairman and managing director Jawahar Goel had said that the passage of the GST amendments would benefit his company to the tune of three to four per cent initially and this would likely improve to four to five per cent going forward.
“Currently our outgo on indirect taxes is roughly around 23 percent and then for tax administration also, our expenditure is almost 1-1.5 percent, for managing our logistics in each of the states. The savings should go directly to our bottomline,” he had shared with the business news channel.
Broadcasters would likely be impacted too as the indirect taxes that they pay currently are around 14-15 per cent. Observers expected the outgo for them could rise to about 18-20 per cent the introduction of GST.
(Because this is a developing story, more facts may emerge as we go along. Hence it will be updated with new viewpoints then.)
DTH
Dish TV launches ‘Kuch chhota sa’ campaign for TV flexibilit
New campaign highlights 190+ channels, Always-On service, Rs 99 Freedom Pack.
MUMBAI- Sometimes, the smallest remote click can fix the biggest daily friction and Dish TV is betting on exactly that insight. The company has rolled out a new campaign built around the thought ‘Kuch chhota sa karne par, life hogi behtar’, turning everyday viewing annoyances into a case for simpler, more reliable television access.
The campaign taps into a familiar household reality: millions of viewers continue to rely on free-to-air channels but increasingly want the flexibility of premium content, often ending up with a patchy and inconsistent viewing experience. Dish TV positions itself as the middle path—a structured yet flexible alternative that promises continuity without complexity. At its core is the pitch of an “Always-On” service, designed to keep content accessible even when recharge timelines slip, effectively reducing one of the most common friction points in DTH consumption.
To strengthen this proposition, the platform is offering access to over 190 channels, alongside a flexible pricing hook through its Freedom Pack, starting at Rs 99. The pack is positioned as a seasonal companion particularly relevant during high-engagement periods such as cricket tournaments, school holidays and festive windows, when content consumption spikes but users may not want long-term commitments.
Conceptualised by Enormous, the campaign unfolds through two master films and three short edits rooted in slice-of-life storytelling. From a husband quietly navigating around his sleeping wife to siblings striking a compromise over a coveted window seat, the narratives lean into humour and relatability rather than heavy messaging. The underlying idea remains consistent: small adjustments can meaningfully improve everyday experiences.
The rollout spans a full 360-degree media mix, including television, digital platforms, on-ground activations, point-of-sale visibility, Google Display Network placements and influencer-led content, signalling a push for both scale and contextual engagement.
As viewing habits continue to evolve in a hybrid ecosystem of free and paid content, Dish TV’s latest play reflects a broader industry shift where reliability and flexibility are increasingly positioned as differentiators, not just add-ons. In a market crowded with choice, the brand’s wager is simple: sometimes, it’s the smallest tweak that keeps audiences tuned in.
