Flipkart’s PhonePe eyes PayTM as it readies to sign up half a crore merchants in 2019

PhonePe, the payment app backed by Flipkart, announced that it has crossed the 1 mln merchants milestone and plans to add another five million this year. This is likely to help the company narrow the gap with market leader PayTM, which had an estimated 10 mln (1 cr) merchants in its network as of late […]

TRAI Rules: D2h adds support for Star channel packs

D2h, the DTH service from Dish TV India Ltd, has added support for several channel packs from Star India, in an apparent deviation from its earlier stance. The DTH operator had, like rival Sun Direct, omitted all channel packs from Star India when it came out with its list of supported broadcaster packs. There have […]

JIO GIGAFIBER: Reliance reiterates commitment to partner small cable operators

Reliance Jio, which today announced another quarter of strong growth in its 4G wireless services, reiterated its commitment to working with small cable operators as it rolls-out broadband-cum-IPTV network GigaFiber. The company also said that it is in the process of connecting homes to its fiber-to-the-home service, based on the requests received via its website. […]

Can Netflix avoid going Apple’s way in India?

As Netflix inches closer to saturation point in its North American home market, it is desperately looking for growth abroad. India being the only billion plus market where it can operate with ease, it is no wonder that its push is aggressive here. However, as Netflix’s market share stagnates, does it risk meeting the same […]

Channel Tariffs: TRAI ‘clarification’ creates massive confusion

A clarification by broadcast regulator TRAI intended to stop cable and DTH operators from forcing ‘junk channels’ on customers has created massive confusion, with media outlets failing to understand what the regulator was trying to say, and in turn confusing their readers. TRAI had, on January 10, clarified that there was no rule that the […]

Airtel becomes first operator to launch 4G in Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Bharti Airtel said it has become the first telecom operator to launch 4G services in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. “Airtel’s 4G services will enable local residents to enjoy digital services like HD quality video streaming, superfast downloads and uploads, high speeds internet browsing on Airtel’s state-of-the-art FDD 4G network,” the company said. Andaman and Nicobar […]

TRAI denies media report on offering 100 pay channels for Rs 153 under new tariff rule

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has denied a news report published by a major daily in India, claiming that the Authority has issued an order giving 100 free or pay channels for Rs 153. An official pointed out that the Authority has issued no such new rule, and that it is not possible to provide […]

2019: The Turning Point for Indian M&E?

Growth trends of last decade show that Indian M&E can act as an important contributor to India’s economic growth, but the sector continues to be a dwarf compared to its global peers. Can 2019 prove to be a point of inflection and kick-start next decade of explosive growth? The year was 2009 when Indian media […]

CHANNEL PRICES: TRAI botches new tariff rollout; could hurt BJP in 2019

The curious case of TRAI’s implementation of the its 2017 Tariff Order, which threatens to add yet another negative factor for NDA in upcoming polls, can be an excellent case study of what ails India’s legal and regulatory system. The saga started almost two years ago with four companies — Star India, Discovery Communications, Tata […]

TRAI again asks users to switch to new plans, Tata Sky says ‘wait please’

Even as broadcast regulator TRAI sent out yet another reminder to cable and DTH users in the country to switch to new plans under the 2017 tariff order, India’s biggest DTH operator continued to ask users to wait for the “tariff order to become applicable” and for “channel prices to be finalized”. The apparent disconnect […]

DTH, cable subscribers complain of being moved to ‘junk’ plans ahead of TRAI deadline

With the telecom and media regulator asking for daily reports from DTH and cable players on migration of consumers to TRAI-compliant plans ahead of the Jan 31 deadline, many consumers have complained of being moved to unwanted packs by their providers. Under TRAI Tariff Order 2017, all cable and DTH subscribers have to be moved […]

TRAI RULES: Broadcasters announce 300+ channel packs, Star highest at 72, TV18, Zee at 50

An analysis of over 300 channel packs and plans announced by prominent broadcasters like Star, Zee Entertainment, Sony, Sun TV and TV18 under new TRAI tariff rules reveals that Star has the highest number of such packs. The company, which has only 43 pay channels, has managed to create a whopping 72 packs and plans […]

D2h becomes first DTH to start moving users to TRAI plans

D2h, the DTH service from Dish TV, has become the first DTH provider in India to start moving subscribers to the new channel packs and plans under the TRAI Tariff Order of 2017. Many subscribers have started getting intimation that their plan has been changed in accordance with TRAI’s new rules. Customers can also accelerate […]

TRAI says no more postponement, urges consumers to move to new channel packs without delay

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, the agency that oversees the telecom and media sector in India, today refuted rumors that the implementation of the tariff order has been postponed beyond February 1 and asked consumers to move to the new plans without leaving it for the last moment. The clarification came in the wake of […]

Flipkart offers 3 days of discounts & offers on Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1, others

Flipkart and Taiwanese smartphone maker Asus will give discounts ranging from a minimum of Rs 1,000 to a maximum of Rs 8,000 on its Zenfone series from Wednesday through Friday. The discounts and zero-cost EMI offers are valid on Zenfone Max Pro M1, Zenfone 5Z and Zenfone Lite L1. The Zenfone Max M1 will only […]

Government gives back surrendered 4G spectrum to BSNL

The government of India has given back the 4G spectrum surrendered by BSNL about seven years ago to enable the state-owned telecom operator to start 4G services. The telecom operator had surrendered 4G spectrum in six expensive circles such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh about seven years ago, in return for part […]

TRAI List: Tata Sky leads with 92 HD Channels; Airtel Digital, Sun Direct edge out Dish & D2h

India’s major DTH broadcasters have declared their channel lists and prices under TRAI’s new tariff rules, and an analysis of the same reveals that Tata Sky continues to be undisputed king of HD Channels in India, followed closely by Airtel Digital and Sun Direct. Dish TV and D2h, meanwhile, have slightly less comprehensive lists of […]