DTH
Dish TV’s pre-budget plea: exempt us from service tax
MUMBAI: It’s an annual pre-budget ritual. And one of India’s leading DTH companies has made a fresh request to the finance ministry, one that it has been making for several years now. Dish TV has requested the ministry to exempt it from the 12.36 per cent service tax that it pays per subscriber till the time the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is implemented.
“Every year before the budget, the ministry asks all industries to send in their suggestions. We wrote to them about a month ago and this was one of our suggestions that we have been putting forth since nearly six or seven years,” says Dish TV CEO R C Venkateish.
DTH operators claim that they have to pay up to 50 per cent taxes while cable operators have to bear just about 32 per cent. The tax burden makes DTH expensive for consumers as well. “DTH is the most taxed in this industry,” states Venkateish.
The various taxes thrust on DTH players include service tax, entertainment tax ranging from 10 to 45 per cent in various states, VAT on equipments and 10 per cent of their annual gross subscription revenues as licence fees to the government.
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.
