I&B Ministry
Govt defers Datawind & Vodafone FDI proposals
NEW DELHI: The Government has rejected a proposal by Limpkin Telecom Private Limited to bring in 100% foreign investment by Jorden Elizabeth, a UK citizen.
Following the advice of the Foreign Investments Promotions Board, the Finance Ministry has deferred a decision on a proposal by M/s Datawind Innovations Private Limited, an existing foreign owned company, presently engaged in the activity of internet delivery platform and manufacturing and trading of computer tablets and smartphones, to diversify into additional line of business of providing telecom services.
It has also deferred the proposal by Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited for the exit of the resident shareholders and transfer of their holdings to the existing foreign shareholders – Sistema Joint Stock Financial Corporation, Russia and Federal Agency for the State Property Management (Rosimushchestvo) – thereby increasing the foreign shareholding in the company from existing 73.95% to 100% and also consequently increasing the foreign shareholding in its downstream company, Shyam Internet Services Limited to 100%.
Two proposals by M/s Vodafone Mobile Services Limited, a 100% foreign owned Indian company, have also been deferred. One was for post-facto approval for the scheme of amalgamation among Vodafone Mobile Services Limited, Vodafone Digilink Limited, Vodafone South Limited, Vodafone East Limited and Vodafone Cellular Limited. The other was for post-facto approval for the scheme of amalgamation among Vodafone Mobile Services Limited, Vodafone Spacetel Limited and Vodafone West Limited.
Decision has also been deferred on a proposal for foreign direct investment by Ubiquity S. R. L, by way of acquisition of 100% shares of M/s Solutions Infini Technologies (India) Private Limited, a company operating in telecom sector, in four tranches.
The Finance Ministry approved a proposal by M/s Entrepreneur India Media Private Limited for undertaking the additional business of publishing scientific and technical magazines. This will entail a foreign direct investment of Rs 80 million.
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I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati sets EPG standards for DD Free Dish platform
New specs define 7-day guide, LCN mapping, and device compatibility.
MUMBAI: Your TV guide just got a backstage pass structured, scheduled, and far more in sync. Prasar Bharati has released detailed technical specifications for Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) services on DD Free Dish, laying down a standardised framework for how channels and programme information are organised and delivered. At the core of the update is a defined EPG data structure, covering genre-based categorisation, scheduling formats, and Logical Channel Numbering (LCN). The aim is simple: make navigation less guesswork and more guided experience across the platform’s over 40 million households.
The specifications also introduce a seven-day programme guide window for each channel, alongside clear rules for channel grouping and LCN mapping effectively deciding not just what you watch, but how easily you find it.
On the technical front, the document outlines requirements for Program Specific Information (PSI) and Service Information (SI), including descriptor usage across tables such as PAT, BAT and NIT. It further details service lists and network linkage parameters, giving OEMs and developers a clearer blueprint for integration.
Importantly, the framework is designed to work seamlessly with television sets equipped with in-built satellite tuners, enabling users to access DD Free Dish directly without additional hardware, an incremental but meaningful step towards simplifying access.
The platform will continue to operate on GSAT-15 transponders, using MPEG-4 compression and DVB-S2 transmission standards, ensuring continuity even as the interface evolves.
While largely technical, the move signals a broader push towards standardisation and user-friendly discovery in India’s free-to-air ecosystem because sometimes, the real upgrade isn’t what’s on screen, but how easily you get there.
