Even as the BJP-led government was fighting to survive in power, the information & broadcasting (I&B) ministry completed its task of preparing a policy note on opening direct-to-home (DTH) Ku-band television transmissions in India. The note, according to Indian business daily, The Economic Times, has recommended that the two-year-old ban on DTH can be easily revoked through an executive order.

The note has said that the minimum licence fee should be Rs 1 million with the maximum going up to Rs 10 million, depending on the size of the DTH operation. Another recommendation is that foreign equity should be restricted to 20% in any DTH service. Non-resident equity should be treated as Indian equity, the note says. It adds that uplinking for any DTH service has to be done from India, as it will allow any Indian government to keep tabs on it.

The group of ministers on DTH will study the note before it is drafted as a policy for allowing DTH in India.