Dish TV targets South India with Rs 149 language packs

Dish TV India wants you to never put down the remote. On May 18th the satellite broadcaster unveiled a revamped bundle for South India — language-first packs, a beefed-up channel line-up, and a feature designed to keep the cricket flowing even when a customer forgets to recharge. The pitch is simple: more content, less friction, and a price that starts at just Rs 149 a month.

The new offering is built around four regional languages — Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam — reflecting a television market where loyalty to language rivals loyalty to any particular channel. The entry-level pack bundles over 225 channels, including more than 36 Tamil-language options. Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam subscribers each get upwards of 30 dedicated channels, loaded with daily serials, films, and local programming.

“South India has always been an extremely important market for Dish TV,” said Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director. “With our new packs starting at Rs 149, our focus is to make quality entertainment more accessible and more aligned with how consumers across the region watch television today.”

The most eye-catching addition is what the company calls its ‘Sports Always-On’ feature. In a country where a missed over can spark a domestic crisis, Dish TV is promising uninterrupted access to live sport even during recharge gaps or temporary service outages. It is a clever move: sports content is the stickiest in India’s DTH market, and keeping a viewer connected through a lapsed payment is considerably cheaper than winning them back after they have switched.

Sukhpreet Singh, chief revenue officer, framed the strategy in commercial terms. “Consumers today are looking for value, convenience, and entertainment experiences that reflect their language and viewing preferences,” he said. “The idea is to make everyday entertainment simpler and more accessible for households across the region.”

The timing is pointed. South India is one of the country’s most competitive television battlegrounds, with streaming platforms and free-to-air alternatives nibbling at traditional DTH subscriber bases. Dish TV, which has operated for more than 22 years and positions itself as India’s leading content-distribution group across both DTH and OTT, is clearly keen to remind the south that it still has skin in the game.

Whether Rs 149 and the promise of uninterrupted cricket is enough to hold back the streaming tide remains to be seen. But for millions of South Indian households who still prefer a set-top box to a smartphone screen, Dish TV’s message is clear: it is not going anywhere — and neither, it hopes, are they.