DTH
Tata Sky rolls out broadband service to take on Reliance Jio
MUMBAI: Now, even DTH players are growing wary of the threat from Reliance Jio. Even as the registrations for Jio’s GigaFiber have commenced, one of the oldest DTH networks, Tata Sky, has ventured into the fixed line broadband sector in 12 cities.
Last month, Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio formally announced the rollout of Jio GigaFiber. The new disruption in the market created an ambience of cautiousness predicting that it could affect India’s multi-billion-dollar cable TV and DTH businesses. In a bid to secure market share, Tata Sky has now joined the race.
Mumbai, Thane, Delhi, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Pune, Bhopal, Chennai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Mira Bhayandar will be the first to get the service. The new plans are available on five packages including one, three, five, nine and twelve months. The data speed and limit will vary depending upon the type of the package. Starting from 5Mbps, the speeds will go up to 100Mbps. For monthly and three month plans, a one-time amount of Rs 1200 will be charged at the time of installation with which a wifi-router will be given free of cost. Rest of the packages will not require any installation charge. There are five add-on plans called ‘Quota on Demand’ which will only be valid through the validity period of the base pack. The pricing seems costlier than that of local cable players while there’s already a perception that Tata Sky is a premium service.
Jio lured customers with several additional amenities including Jio Giga TV set top box. The way it wrecked the telecom market with cheap data pricing, it was feared that it could disrupt the broadband sectors as well and can emerge as a replacement to DTH and cable players. In this regard, it could be tough for Tata Sky with its limited amenities to attract more users.
Comparatively, India has low penetration in fixed broadband sector. A report from Media Partners Asia said India’s FLBB penetration was expected to increase to 10.3 per cent from the present single digit share by the year 2022. Moreover, as content and applications keep getting heavier and denser in size, FLBB high speed broadband solutions could be ideal for offices and homes. Hence, unexplored opportunities of FLBB can fuel the growth of new players also.
DTH Operator
JC Flowers withdraws NCLT plea against Dish TV over EGM demand
Move eases pressure on DTH firm as long-running shareholder dispute cools
MUMBAI: In a breather for Dish TV India, JC Flowers Asset Reconstruction has withdrawn its petition before the National Company Law Tribunal seeking directions to convene an extraordinary general meeting.
The development was disclosed by Dish TV in a regulatory filing, confirming that the petitioner chose to withdraw the case during a hearing at the Mumbai bench of the tribunal. A detailed order from the bench is still awaited.
The petition, originally filed under Sections 98 to 100 of the Companies Act, 2013, sought to push for an extraordinary general meeting to address governance issues at the company. The case had its roots in a prolonged shareholder tussle dating back to 2021, when Yes Bank, then the largest shareholder, was at odds with the promoter group led by Subhash Chandra over board reconstitution.
JC Flowers had stepped into the picture as an assignee of Yes Bank’s stressed assets, effectively continuing the legal push initiated earlier. The withdrawal now signals a pause, if not a closure, to that chapter of dispute.
While the reasons behind the withdrawal have not been formally detailed, the move reduces immediate legal pressure on Dish TV, which has been navigating both operational and regulatory challenges in recent years.
For now, the focus shifts back to the company’s business fundamentals, even as the legal dust settles, at least temporarily, on one of its more closely watched shareholder battles.
