I&B Ministry
Dish TV bemoans govt’s neglect of DTH sector
MUMBAI: Dish TV, while lamenting neglect and step-motherly treatment of the whole DTH sector by the government, has exhorted policy-makers to remove various discriminations in the licencing conditions of various distribution platforms as it has resulted in taxing times for DTH operators.
Furthermore, Dish TV has also pointed out that video distribution on OTT platforms should be brought under government regulations, similar to those governing other distribution platforms (DPs) to remove anomalies and creation of a level playing field for every stakeholder.
“The present [regulatory] regime for the licence fee is discriminatory against the DTH operators and is designed to provide the leveraged position to cable operator, HITS, IPTV and MSO, etc in the market place as they are not required to pay any annual licence fee,” Dish TV has said in its submission to regulator TRAI’s consultation paper on issues related to uplink/downlink of TV channels and whether they could be auctioned in a way similar to FM radio licences.
One of the largest satellite TV operators in India has added that because of discriminatory licencing regimes, the additional financial burden in terms of monthly subscription fee is put on a subscriber of DTH service when compared to subscribers of cable TV or HITS services.
“It is a matter of record that in the month of March 2008, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) had taken a decision to fix the [DTH operator’s] licence fee @ 6 per cent of the gross revenue, which had the concurrence of the TRAI also. However, for reasons best known to the government, the decision is yet to be put into effect,” Dish TV has said.
Pointing out that the DTH sector (India has six DTH licencees at present, according to MIB) has played a critical role in making the digitisation dream a success even while providing a world class experience to consumers, Dish TV has urged the government/regulator to “remove anomalies” by creating a level playing field for the DTH operators and rationalising the licence fee.
Dish TV is also hopeful that TRAI’s new tariff structure and inter-connect regulations—which are in suspended animation owing to being legally challenged in Madras and Delhi High Courts by Star TV and Tata Sky and Airtel Digital combine, respectively—would go a long way in easing the pains of DTH ops. “Though the tariff order and the regulation are under challenge, however, it is just a matter of time that when the new regulation will sail through these minor hiccups and become a reality,” it added.
Incidentally, as reported by Indiantelevision.com earlier, MIB is contemplating referring the issue of DTH policy guidelines review to its sister organisation, Ministry of Law, for an opinion.
Meanwhile, Dish TV in its submission to TRAI has made a strong financial case for rationalisation of DTH licencing regime, while highlighting how owners of TV channels continue to play favourites with various DPs, has also urged a regulatory regime for video distributed on OTT platforms.
In a section that dwells on OTT platforms, Dish TV has accused broadcasters or owners of TV channels of circumventing regulatory framework by distributing video on the internet or OTT platforms.
Arguing that by starting OTT platforms broadcasters don’t just remain ‘broadcasters’, but also become ‘distributors’ of TV channels, Dish TV has said that such an arrangement breaches various existing regulations, including cross-media and cross-services restrictions.
“It is important to note that the content being provided by the broadcasters [on OTT platforms] are free of cost with an intention to create a captive subscriber base and create a monopolistic situation. Because of ‘free of cost’ provision of the content by the broadcasters through OTT services, other distributor[s] of TV channels are heavily prejudiced… threatening the existence of other distribution platforms,” Dish TV has stated, adding such an arrangement could also create a monopoly where the broadcaster, being the distributor, would also control the end mile solution.
It may be pertinent to note here that Dish TV’s sibling Zee group too has an OTT platform whereby it distributes TV programming to subscribers. Zee unveiled on Valentine’s Day a new avatar of its video streaming service called ZEE5.
Though TRAI had initially left video streaming services out of a regulatory framework when it announced guidelines pertaining to Net Neutrality late last year, a section of the media has reported that the regulator is now thinking afresh and could bring in regulations for video content distributed via the internet (read video OTT platforms).
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I&B Ministry
Government sets up AI governance group to steer policy
AIGEG to align ministries, assess jobs impact, guide AI deployment.
MUMBAI: If artificial intelligence is the engine, the government is now building the dashboard and making sure everyone reads from the same screen. The Centre has constituted a new inter-ministerial body to coordinate India’s approach to AI, formalising a key recommendation from its governance framework and the Economic Survey. The AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG), set up by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, will act as the central platform to align AI-related policy across ministries, regulators and departments, an attempt to bring coherence to what has so far been a fragmented and fast-evolving landscape.
The group will be chaired by union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, with minister of state Jitin Prasada as vice chairperson. Its composition reflects both technological and economic priorities, bringing together the principal scientific adviser, the chief economic adviser, and the CEO of NITI Aayog, alongside key secretaries from telecommunications, economic affairs and science and technology. A representative from the National Security Council Secretariat is also part of the group, while the MeitY secretary will serve as member convenor.
At its core, AIGEG is designed to do two things: coordinate and anticipate. On the policy front, it will review existing regulatory mechanisms, issue guidance across sectors and ensure companies remain compliant with evolving legal frameworks. Beyond that, it will oversee national initiatives on AI governance, with a focus on enabling responsible innovation rather than merely regulating it.
The economic dimension is equally central. The group has been tasked with assessing how AI-driven automation could reshape jobs identifying which roles are most at risk, where those impacts may be geographically concentrated, and whether technology will augment or replace human labour. Based on these assessments, it will develop mitigation strategies and transition plans, signalling a more proactive stance on workforce disruption.
In parallel, AIGEG will work with industry stakeholders to chart a long-term roadmap for AI adoption, categorising use cases into “deploy”, “pilot” or “defer” buckets depending on readiness factors such as data availability, skill levels and regulatory clarity. The aim is to move from broad ambition to structured execution deciding not just what can be built, but what should be built now.
The group will function as the apex layer in India’s AI governance architecture, supported by a Technology and Policy Expert Committee that will track global developments, emerging risks and regulatory priorities. Together, the two bodies are expected to shape both the pace and direction of AI adoption in the country.
In a landscape where technology often outruns policy, the creation of AIGEG signals an attempt to close that gap ensuring that India’s AI journey is not just rapid, but also coordinated, accountable and economically grounded.
