News Broadcasting
BIS task-force on STB specifications for DTH
NEW DELHI: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has decided to form a task force to come up with recommendations on the specifications of set-top boxes (STBs) for KU-band direct-to-home television service, even as Star felt that interoperability, as suggested in the government guidelines, is not a workable model.
The task force would include representatives from the BIS, the two DTH applicant companies (the Subhash Chandra promoted ASC Enterprises and a Star affiliate, Space TV), Doordarshan (DD) , All India Radio (AIR) and a consumer activist.
The task force has to come up with its recommendations for the main committee of the BIS. What can make the work of task force difficult is the fact that BIS’ viewpoint is that it has to operate within the broad framework of the policy guidelines which states that for KU-band DTH service an open architecture has to be followed.
At a meeting held here yesterday, a Star India representative, according to BIS sources, opined that inter-operability or an open architecture would make starting a DTH service in India difficult as it is “not a workable model” to follow.
The reasons given, according to the sources, was that if an open architecture STB is insisted upon by the government, then it would make the STB expensive and difficult for a would-be service provider to subsidise the STB as exclusivity and captive consumers would not be assured.
Thomson India and CETMA, the apex body of consumer electronics goods manufacturers in India, supported the stand of Star, said to be represented by the Mumbai-based head of the company’s DTH operations in India. The information and broadcasting ministry had referred to the BIS the issue of specifications for STBs for DTH last year.
What does the government mean by an open architecture? In layman’s language it means that if a consumer buys a STB for a KU-band DTH service in India, then the STB should be capable of working if the smart card of another DTH service provider is inserted in it. This theory is based on the presumption that there would be several DTH service providers in India, though globally, this sector works best with monopoly or at best a duopoly.
Though BIS today made it clear it has to work within the DTH policy framework, announced by the government late 2000, some time back officials of the BIS had admitted to indiantelevision.com in private that an open architecture, as being insisted by the government, is a very difficult modele to adhere to as its prevalence is rare worldwide and would make the whole operation costlier for the consumer.
Still, there are people in the broadcasting and cable industry who feel that open architecture is a possibility and the interest of the consumer would be protected.
A debate, it seems, that will take some more time before a working consensus emerges.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
