NEW DELHI: Asian pay TV industry organisation CASBAA, while applauding the Indian government for ease of doing business, exhorted policy makers to further streamline norms relating to the broadcast and satellite industries as it led to procedural delays impacting business.
Speaking at the India Satcom 2017 forum here on Wednesday, Hong Kong-based CASBAA chairman Joe Welch said a great deal of attention has been paid to the power and infrastructure sectors, but “the key to … realisation of the prime minister’s vision of taking India up to a top-50 ranking (in ease of doing business) lies in improving business conditions in other sectors of the economy”, specifically satellite communications and broadcasting.
Welch, who was chairing a session relating to ease of doing business in the broadcast and satellite sectors, observed that broadcasting business is heavily dependent on satellite links, and that “the single most crucial measure the government could take … would be to create conducive conditions for both the satellite operators and the broadcasters to be able to enter into long-term service agreements”.
Currently, contracts for satellite capacity for DTH broadcasters are limited to a three-year term by Indian government regulation.
“Striking long-term commercial deals in a marketplace that is less government-constrained would help increase business certainty for all the stakeholders”, he said.
Satellite services are also important to achieving the Digital India dream – championed by prime minister Modi – as satellite services can help bring broadband and other related services to the hinterland of India, digitally connecting thousands of villages where cable or other modes of broadband delivery may pose logistic and financial challenges.
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