DTH
Dish TV India Limited has been successfully appraised at CMMI Maturity Level 5 for development and Services Constellations
MUMBAI: Dish TV India Limited, world’s largest single-country DTH Company has been appraised at Level 5 (both Development & Services) of the CMMI institute's Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). With this, Dish TV has become the only Media & Entertainment organization in the world to be certified with Maturity Level 5.
As per CMMI Institute, receiving the Maturity Level 5 certification means that the organization is focused on statistical based continuous improvement and is built to pivot and respond to opportunity and change. Last year in April, Dish TV was awarded Maturity level 4 certification by CMMI Institute.
Maturity Level 4 and 5 are known as high levels of maturity, organizations assessed at these levels have a capability to quantitatively predict their delivery, and quality of performance using historical data based statistical models. These organizations demonstrate capability to accomplish and sustain their business objectives and performance.
The IT division of Dish TV has brought laurels to the organization by receiving the CMMI Level-5 certification.
Commenting on this achievement, Mr. Anil Dua, Group Chief Executive Officer, Dish TV India Limited, said, “We are proud to announce that Dish TV has received the CMMI Institute’s Maturity Level 5 certification. Along with this, we are elated to share that Dish TV has become the first media organization to receive the certification and has entered into the elite club of around 25 companies in the world who currently hold this certification. This is a result of 18 months journey of understanding, preparing, measuring, and continuous internal review. We are honored to receive the Maturity Level 5 certification by the CMMI Institute and renew our commitment to working towards the organization’s goals and driving customer satisfaction.”
Mr. V.K. Gupta, Chief Technology Officer, Dish TV India Limited, sums it up, “At DishTV we constantly challenge ourselves to deliver better product and services for our customer. In this quest, we review and benchmark each of our internal processes to provide more value to both our internal and external customers. It is thus a proud moment for all of us at DishTV to achieve the CMMI ML5 (Development & Service) certification for our IT division in a very short span of time. It only reinforces our resolve to bring new innovative offerings for our valuable customers, as we continue to drive ourselves on the journey of continuous improvement”.
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.
