DTH
STB import duty doubled to 20%
NEW DELHI: In a fresh bid to boost domestic production under the Make in India project, the Indian government has increased the import duty on set-top boxes (STBs) to 20 per cent, including a host of other electronic items such as TVs sets and smartphones.
The duty hike from 10 per cent could impact the ongoing digitisation of TV services in India. Experts and stakeholders in the country’s broadcast and cable industry are still assessing the directive, including the fact whether the move is aimed at arresting imports from China.
A ministry of finance notification dated 14 December 2017 stated the federal government was “satisfied” that the import duty on certain goods, including electronics, should be increased as “circumstances exist” that render it “necessary to take immediate action”.
Though officially over, India’s digitisation of TV services is still a work in progress with many big MSOs admitting in private that the last and fourth phase is still far from over.
A cable industry source highlighted that India’s DTH operators annually import about 10 million STBs, while an additional 20 million boxes approximately would still be needed to fully cover areas falling under phase IV of digitisation.
While many India companies, including big companies like the Hero group, are manufacturing and/or assembling STBs in India, the supply, according to industry sources, isn’t enough to meet the demand. It is also expected that whenever the next round of survey is undertaken, the total number of TV homes in India would increase much beyond the figure of 183 million (as indicated by BARC India).
Will this increase in import duty also up the cost of STBs for consumers via a mixed business model of rentals and outright purchase of the product? It’s still not clear.
An industry source, however, said whether this government move would give a fillip to domestic manufacturing is not yet known. Most Indian DTH operators have already started importing STBs from countries like Thailand and Vietnam to take advantage of an ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) trade pact, which is aimed at lowering trade barriers and help economic growth in general.
STBs can be now imported by Indian companies from ASEAN countries at very low tax rate that is in the range of 2-3 per cent, the source elaborated.
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DTH
TDSAT adjourns Tata Play–Culver Max dispute to 30 March
Row dates to May 2025 after Tata Play dropped 25 Culver Max channels
NEW DELHI: The long-running broadcast carriage dispute between Tata Play and Culver Max Entertainment was on Friday adjourned to 30 March after proceedings before the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal were disrupted by technical difficulties.
The bench, led by chairperson justice Dhirubhai Naranbhai Patel with member Sanjeev Banzal, briefly took up the matter before deferring it. The adjournment was also recorded at the petitioner’s request.
The commercial row dates back to May 2025, when Tata Play dropped 25 Culver Max channels from its direct-to-home packs, citing contractual disagreements. Culver Max alleged the move breached both the interconnection agreement and the regulatory framework laid down by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, prompting it to approach the tribunal.
On 21 May, 2025, Culver Max issued a disconnection notice claiming unpaid subscription dues of Rs 128.42 crore for services up to 31 March, 2025. Tata Play disputed the demand, arguing that the dues were contested and that disconnection would violate regulatory norms.
In an interim order on 27 May, 2025, the tribunal stayed the proposed disconnection, subject to Tata Play depositing Rs 40 crore. The amount was paid on 3 June, ensuring continued carriage of the channels. The tribunal later restrained the broadcaster from disrupting services, recording Tata Play’s submission that channels remained available on an a la carte basis and that only bouquet composition had changed.
Culver Max subsequently sought recall of the interim relief, alleging misstatements by the DTH operator. It placed a statement of accounts before the tribunal, pegging total dues at Rs 124.87 crore, including invoices raised up to October 2025, and claimed more than Rs 63 crore remained unpaid even after adjustments.
Tata Play countered that invoices from June to September 2025 had been settled and that October invoices were not yet due under contractual timelines, characterising remaining differences as routine reconciliation issues.
The tribunal has since allowed Culver Max, formerly known as Sony Pictures Networks India, to withdraw its audit petition after placing the subscriber audit report on record, and dismissed the recall plea.
With Friday’s hearing cut short, the dispute over carriage fees, dues and bouquet structuring will now return to the tribunal on 30 March, prolonging one of the sector’s most closely watched broadcaster–DTH stand-offs.
