I&B Ministry
Registered MSOs for DAS areas goes up to 315 as I&B grants new licences
MUMBAI: The Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry is pulling up its socks to ensure that there is no delay in the complete digitisation of phase III areas, by December, 2015. In keeping with this, the Ministry has given six new permanent licences to multi system operators (MSOs) and 33 new provisional licences to those interested in setting up base in phase III areas.
With this, the total number of MSOs that have been given permanent registration for a period of 10 years stands at 222 as of 22 July, 2015. While those granted provisional licence has gone up to 93 taking the total number of registered MSOs to 315.
The MSOs that have been given permanent registration include: Tyagi Cable TV Network, ACN Cable, National Cable TV Nilgiris, Swamy Cable Network, Satellite Cable Communications and Air Media Network.
Those given provisional licence include: Bhima Riddhi Infotainment, Shimla Broadband, Star Club, APK Networks, The Giddalur Cable Network and Sai Citi Cable Network amongst others.
Click here to read the list of MSOs given permanent registration
Click here to read the list of MSOs given provisional registration
I&B Ministry
MIB cancels registrations of 114 MSOs in compliance crackdown
Total active MSOs now 756 after 1,159 exits since early 2025.
MUMBAI- MIB just pulled the plug on 114 more cable operators because when the regulator says “cut the cord,” it really means cut the cord. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has cancelled the registrations of 114 multi-system operators (MSOs) for non-compliance, denial of security clearance and suppression of critical information, continuing its year-long clean-up of India’s cable distribution ecosystem.
As of 28 February 2026, the total number of registered MSOs has fallen to 756 after 1,159 operators exited the market through cancellations, voluntary surrenders or lapsed licences. This follows a similar exercise in the previous year when, as of 31 March 2025, around 1,045 registrations had expired, been surrendered or cancelled, bringing the count down from higher levels to 845 before the latest round.
The sustained contraction signals a structural shift toward a more organised, compliant sector. Regulatory scrutiny has intensified on operational transparency, adherence to licensing norms and security clearances, effectively weeding out smaller or non-compliant players.
Industry observers view the moves as a deliberate push toward consolidation, where only operators meeting strict standards remain active. Additional rejections of over 14 applications last year on grounds such as non-payment of dues and suppression of information further underscore the ministry’s stricter stance.
In India’s cable TV landscape, where channels once multiplied faster than viewers could count them, MIB is quietly rewiring the entire grid, one cancellation at a time until only the cleanest signals survive.
