Dish TV receives provisional DTH licence under new guidelines

Direct to home (DTH) operator Dish TV has received in-principal approval from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) for the grant of provisional DTH licence under the new DTH guidelines that were approved by the government in December 2020.

The provisional licence will be valid for a period of 20 years effective 1st April 2021. The licence will be valid upon completion of required formalities by the company.

“We wish to inform you that the Company has received in-principle approval of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for grant of provisional license for providing Direct-To-Home (DTH) broadcasting service in India with effect from April 1, 2021,” Dish TV said in a filing to the BSE.

The in-principle approval of the MIB for grant of provisional licence is subject to the company entering into an agreement with the ministry containing terms and conditions of the ‘Guidelines for obtaining licence for providing Direct to Home (DTH) Broadcasting services in India’, as amended up to 30.12.2020.

The company will have to obtain and provide MIB the other necessary clearances as envisaged under the DTH guidelines. The company will have to provide the Bank Guarantee in terms of the DTH Guidelines.

The MIB had recently asked Dish TV to pay up Rs. 4164.05 crore in licence fee dues including interest. The DTH operator is planning to raise funds up to Rs 1000 crore.