Dish TV moves Kerala HC against DD Free Dish’s regulatory exemption

Direct-to-home (DTH) operator Dish TV has moved the Kerala High Court, seeking directions to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to bring Prasar Bharati-owned DD Free Dish under the same regulatory framework as private DTH platforms.

The company has sought a mandate for encryption and Digital Addressable System (DAS) requirements for DD Free Dish under existing laws, including the Indian Telegraph Act and the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act.

It has also argued that the platform’s continued operation in an unencrypted, non-addressable mode is arbitrary, discriminatory, and violative of constitutional guarantees of equality, free speech, and the right to trade.


The Kerala High Court has admitted the petition and posted the matter for hearing on June 2.

The court said DD Free Dish’s November 28, 2025 notice inviting applications from regional language channels for uplinking on its DTH platform in an unencrypted format, and without carriage fee until March 31, 2026, will be subject to the final outcome of the case.

Encrypted signals require authorised set-top boxes and paid subscriptions, while unencrypted signals can be accessed free using basic equipment.

TRAI, in its July 2024 recommendations, acknowledged the regulatory gap and proposed a transition to an addressable system, though the recommendations are not binding. The MIB has yet to take a call, with officials wary of disrupting services for 53 million households reliant on DD Free Dish.

The petition underscores growing friction between pay DTH operators and DD Free Dish, whose free-to-air model has expanded rapidly in price-sensitive markets, eroding the subscriber base of paid platforms.

The move follows repeated representations by private DTH operators and the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF), which argue that DD Free Dish’s exemption from encryption and addressability norms creates a structural disadvantage for pay-TV platforms.

Dish TV said private operators have invested heavily in encryption infrastructure, licences, regulatory levies, and subscriber management systems, while DD Free Dish has scaled up without similar obligations.

Industry data reflects the widening gap. India’s pay DTH subscriber base declined from about 69.6 million in FY21 to 56.9 million in FY25, according to TRAI. In the first nine months of FY26, the base further dropped to around 51 million. In contrast, DD Free Dish reached an estimated 53 million homes in 2025, as per a FICCI-EY report.

Dish TV said DD Free Dish, originally meant to distribute Doordarshan channels, has evolved into a commercial platform carrying around 120 private channels and generating significant auction revenue without comparable regulatory obligations.

DD Free Dish’s carriage revenue from slot auctions rose from Rs 309 crore in FY17 to Rs 927 crore in FY23, according to the petition.