NEW DELHI: The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) today cleared the application by Media Content Communications Services (MCCS) India, the holding company for the Star News venture here, to infuse foreign equity amounting to 26 per cent from Star News Broadcasting Ltd.

MCCS has sought permission from the Indian government to uplink content for the Star News channel.

The clearance came after the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry gave its go ahead for the same.

What this means is that now the impediments have been removed for a final permission from the I&B ministry for long-term uplink from India, senior I&B ministry officials said. However, the I&B ministry can still ask questions and seek clarifications from MCCS.

MCCS proposes to have a paid-up capital of Rs 625 million according to an application submitted to the government on 22 September.

The authorised share capital of the joint venture between the Aveek Sarkar family-controlled ABP Pvt Ltd and Star Group Pvt Ltd, the application had said, would be Rs 700 million, while the current paid-up capital is Rs 100,000.

MCCS is the company that would uplink and look after the affairs of Star News from India wherein ABP holds 74 per cent equity stake and Star has a 26 per cent shareholding. The former shareholders of MCCS, including ad man Suhel Seth and Balaji Telefilms chairman and actor Jeetendra, were bought out by ABP.