Distribution
Tech companies come together for better business practice
MUMBAI: At a time when life has become dependent on technological equipments, it’s necessary to have a system that makes the movement on the tech industry smooth. That seemed to be on the minds of even the tech distribution companies because of which they came together to form The Technology Distribution Association of India (TDAI).
The launch of the Association that was announced today has been done with in an aim to revolutionise the Indian technology-distribution industry. The Association’s motto is: “we can only build when we know how to sustain”. A first of its kind non- profit organisation in Asia Pacific & India, TDAI’s objective is to build a transparent and organised distribution services sector in India through risk mitigated best practices. While maintaining a strategic and healthy channel through good governance and appropriate compliance standards, from the manufacturer to the end user, TDAI will support the industry’s development and expansion while ensuring business hygiene.
In the last two decades, India has seen tremendous strides in the use and adoption of Information Technology products both in the consumer as well as the commercial space. While the technology vendors have played a pre-eminent role in introducing the Indian customer to the immense benefits of their products and solutions, the widespread use of IT products and processes can, in a large measure, be attributed to the contribution of a huge distribution channel, which has facilitated easy availability through their reach, presence and financial commitment.
The success of the distribution channel is equally accredited to all the stake holders in the supply chain: Vendors, Distributors and Dealers of IT products, services and solutions. With an aim to drive the industry’s next level of evolution through constructive dialogues amongst all stake holders, the leading Indian technology distributors have founded TDAI.
The current members of TDAI collectively contribute nearly Rs 50,000 Crores (~ US$ 8 Billion) annually towards the total IT industry business in the country.
TDAI will provide all industry stake holders a common ground for deliberating on regulatory issues that impact them, with a view to take those up with relevant authorities for resolution. It will act as a platform through which they could contribute inputs and information that would help shape the industry. TDAI will facilitate interaction with various Dealer Associations on common issues faced by the distribution eco-system as also a forum for discussion with Vendors on taking the channel business to its next stage of development. The initiatives of this Association will pave the way for fostering trust and goodwill amongst all stakeholders of the community.
The current members of TDAI include: Avnet Technology Solutions, Compuage Infocom Limited, Inflow Technologies Private Limited, Ingram Micro India Limited, Iris Computers Limited, Neoteric Infomatique Limited, Rashi Peripherals Private Limited, Redington India Limited, Savex Computers Limited and Supertron Electronics Limited.
New Delhi: Prasar Bharati has thrown open applications for fresh capacity on DD Free Dish, signalling a timely opportunity for broadcasters looking to expand reach without long-term lock-ins. The public service broadcaster has issued a dual notice for its 95th and 96th online e-auctions, aimed at filling vacant MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 slots on a pro-rata basis for February and March 2026.
The two auctions are tentatively scheduled to begin on January 27, with allotments valid from February 1, 2026. Applications for both auctions close on January 21 at 3 pm, giving channels a narrow window to get their bids in.
The 95th e-auction will cover vacant MPEG-2 slots, while the 96th will focus on MPEG-4 capacity. Participation is limited to satellite television channels holding valid downlinking and uplinking permissions from the ministry of information and broadcasting. International public broadcasters cleared by the ministry are also eligible.
As with previous rounds, channels have been grouped into buckets based on genre and language, with sharply differentiated reserve prices reflecting reach and demand.
For the MPEG-2 auction, Hindi and Urdu general entertainment channels sit at the top of the pile. The starting reserve price for bucket A+ in the first round is Rs 2,63,48,000. Movie, music and sports channels in Hindi and Urdu follow in bucket A at Rs 2,10,14,000. Bhojpuri channels and other Hindi and Urdu genres, excluding devotional content, fall under bucket B with a reserve of Rs 1,78,62,000. Hindi and Urdu news channels in bucket C start at Rs 1,33,27,000, while bucket D, which includes regional language channels, English news and devotional or spiritual channels, begins at Rs 1,13,96,000.
The MPEG-4 auction comes in at a far leaner price point. News and current affairs channels in Hindi, English or pan-India languages, grouped under bucket G1, start at Rs 13,41,000. Non-news genres under bucket G2 have a reserve of Rs 8,80,000. Regional languages such as Marathi, Punjabi and Gujarati in bucket R2 begin at Rs 4,84,000. Southern language channels in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, grouped under bucket R1, start at Rs 81,000, the same reserve price set for other scheduled 8 regional languages in bucket R3.
Prasar Bharati has underlined that compliance will be closely watched. Broadcasters must ensure that at least 75 per cent of their monthly programming, excluding advertisements, aligns with the declared genre and language. Any deviation could trigger show-cause notices or even removal from the DD Free Dish platform.
For channels chasing reach in a crowded market, the message is clear. The window is brief, the prices are set and the audience is waiting. On DD Free Dish, visibility still comes cheap, but only for those ready to move fast.
