DTH
Insat-4C for Sun’s DTH in April; Isro also plans first commercial launch
MUMBAI: Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is planning to launch Insat -4C in April, the satellite which Sun Group has booked for its direct-to-home (DTH) venture. The organisation will also conduct its first commercial launch of a foreign satellite in the second quarter of 2006.
“We are planning for the GSLV launch in April, which will carry Insat-4 C for augmenting DTH technology in the country,” Isro chairman G Madhavan Nair told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram today on the sidelines of the national workshop on “Space Applications for Mankind”, organised by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.
Sun Group has expressed interest to take up to eight Ku-band transponders on Insat-4C. Speaking to indiantelevision.com from Bangalore, Isro contract management & legal services director SB Iyer said the rest of the total 12 Ku-band transponders in Insat-4 C would be shared between BSNL for village telephony and few news channels for digital satellite news gathering (DSNG). “BSNL will require a minimum of 2 transponders. The final allocation will depend upon how many transponders Sun decides to take,” he said.
Isro will foray into the commercial satellite business with the launch of the Italian low orbit scientific satellite “Agile” to outer space aboard PSLV C-8. Speaking about the maiden commercial initiative, Nair said India’s launch vehicles were cost-effective. “It will be a great opportunity if Isro can capture at least 10 per cent in the satellite launch business worth $ 2 billion in the international market,” he said.
India’s successful testing of an ‘air-breathing’ engine technology in Russia for 10 seconds at ground level has significantly reduced the cost of launch vehicles. Rockets now carry fuel and oxidisers, whereas for air-breathing engines using hypersonic technology, lesser quantity of oxidisers is required.
By the time GSLV Mk-3, which could carry a 4 tonne payload, was launched in 2008, the cost of access to space could be reduced to USD 10,000 per kg of payload. According to Nair, the launch technology would be commercially feasible if the cost was reduced to USD 1000 per kg of payload. The PSLV and GSLV rockets would be launched from the first and second launch pads at Sriharikota respectively.
Iyer, in an earlier interview to this website, had revealed Isro’s plans to enter into a niche market segment with launch of foreign small satellites having six-capacity Ku-band transponders from India.
“This is aimed specifically at the developing countries. In many countries like Malaysia and Thailand, there is a demand for such satellites. A part of the capacity augmentation will be through launch of such small transponder satellites. The satellites will be launched from India. We will be able to tap customers who have need for limited capacity,” he had said.
DTH
DD Free Dish e-auction revenue dips to Rs 642 crore as slot sales fall
Revenue dips as revised norms reshape bidding in 94th round
NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati’s DD Free Dish has closed its 8th annual, and 94th overall, e-auction for MPEG-2 slots with total collections of Rs 642 crore for the period April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
That is lower than last year’s Rs 780 crore haul, with 55 slots sold compared with 61 in FY25–26. The softer topline reflects both a slimmer inventory and a recalibrated auction framework.
This was the first auction conducted after amendments to the e-auction methodology, including tighter eligibility norms and a revised reserve price structure for MPEG-2 slots. The stated aim was greater transparency and more serious participation. The immediate outcome appears to be more measured bidding in certain categories.
Day one set the tone. Eight slots were sold, six in the premium Bucket A+ and two in Bucket A. The strong early action in A+, which typically houses Hindi GECs and movie channels, reaffirmed the enduring appeal of mass Hindi programming on the platform.
Among the broadcasters securing slots in the initial rounds were Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Sony Pictures Networks India, Viacom18’s Colors network, Sun Network and Shemaroo Entertainment. Their continued presence signals that, despite the pull of digital platforms, Free Dish remains a strategic must have for legacy networks chasing scale in price sensitive markets.
The final bouquet of 55 channels leans heavily towards Hindi news, movies, devotional fare, Bhojpuri and regional programming.
In Hindi news, familiar heavyweights such as Aaj Tak, ABP News, India TV, News18 India, Republic Bharat and Zee News made the cut. Entertainment and movie offerings include Colors Rishtey, Star Utsav, Dangal TV, Sony Pal, Shemaroo TV, Goldmines, B4U Movies and Zee Biskope. Devotional viewers will find Aastha, Sanskar and Sadhna Gold among the selected channels.
Regional representation includes Sun Marathi, Fakt Marathi, PTC Punjabi and GTC Punjabi.
Equally telling were the absences. Broadcasters such as Big Magic, Filamchi Bhojpuri, India News, Bharat Express, Movieplex Maithili, TV9 Marathi, Shemaroo Marathibana, Zee Chitra Mandir and Satsang did not participate. The pullback is particularly visible across Marathi, Bhojpuri, Maithili and spiritual programming. Industry observers point to the revised reserve prices, tighter eligibility norms and a reassessment of commercial viability as possible factors.
DD Free Dish continues to beam into over 40 million homes, largely in rural and semi urban India. For advertisers and broadcasters alike, it offers efficient access to Bharat markets where pay TV penetration remains uneven and OTT subscriptions are limited.
The moderation in revenue this year may be read as a pause rather than a retreat. Fewer slots, a reworked auction playbook and evolving broadcaster strategies have clearly shaped outcomes. Yet premium Hindi entertainment retains its pull, and the platform’s mass reach remains hard to ignore.
As the FY26–27 line-up settles in, the mix of winners and walkaways will define the private satellite channel landscape on DD Free Dish for the year ahead.
