Dish TV India Limited , a leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) service provider, has been fined a total of Rs. 5.69 lakh by the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) for non-compliance with board composition and committee requirements for the quarter ended June 30, 2025.

Breakdown of Fines

The fines imposed on Dish TV India are as follows:

Reasons for Non-Compliance

The company's board of directors has cited two main reasons for the non-compliance:

1. Non-approval of director appointments by shareholders
2. Mandatory approvals required from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

These factors have resulted in the company maintaining only three directors on its board, falling short of the required six directors as stipulated by regulatory norms.

Company's Response

Dish TV India's board of directors has provided comments on the notices received from the stock exchanges:

Regulation 17(1) Non-Compliance

• The reduction in board strength below the minimum requirement was due to factors beyond the company's control.
• The company is permitted to appoint only enough directors to bring the total board strength to three, as per the Uplinking Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
• This allowance enables compliance with the Companies Act, 2013, but not with SEBI's Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements (LODR) Regulations, which require a minimum of six directors.

Regulation 19(1) / 19(2) Non-Compliance

• The composition of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee (NRC) was affected by the reduced board strength.
• The company lacked an adequate number of Non-Executive Directors to constitute the NRC in line with applicable provisions.

Steps Taken by the Company

Dish TV India has stated that it has continuously taken steps to ensure compliance with the regulations:

• The company appointed Mr. Mayank Talwar and Mr. Gurinder Singh as Independent Directors on December 12, 2024, to maintain the minimum required number of directors.
• After these appointments were not approved by shareholders on August 14, 2025, the board appointed Mr. Arun Kumar Kapoor and Ms. Heena Naishadh Bhatt as Independent Directors.
• On May 28, 2025, the board appointed Mr. Manoj Dobhal, Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer, as Chairman of the Board and as a member of the NRC to comply with Listing Regulations.

The company maintains that the non-compliance issues are beyond the control of its board and management, primarily due to shareholder non-approval of director appointments and the requirement for prior approval from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Dish TV India continues to work towards resolving these compliance issues while navigating the regulatory requirements and shareholder decisions.

Dish TV , a prominent player in the Indian direct-to-home (DTH) television market, finds itself embroiled in a significant tax dispute as the Commissioner of Central GST and Central Excise, Aurangabad, challenges a recent tribunal decision favoring the company.

The Case at a Glance

Background of the Dispute

The controversy stems from Dish TV's supply of Smart Cards to Set Top Box manufacturers. While the company maintained that this was done on a job work basis, the Service Tax Department in Aurangabad contested this view. The department argued that no actual job work activity was undertaken by the manufacturers, leading to a proposed disallowance and recovery of CENVAT Credit availed on Smart Cards for the period from January 2014 to June 2017.

Legal Journey

1. Initial Order: On July 4, 2019, the Commissioner CGST & C.Ex., Aurangabad, upheld the demand raised by the Department.
2. Appeal: Dish TV appealed this decision at the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Mumbai.
3. CESTAT Ruling: CESTAT ruled in favor of Dish TV.
4. Current Status: The Tax Commissioner has now filed an appeal against the CESTAT order at the High Court of Bombay (Aurangabad Bench).

Implications for Dish TV

The outcome of this case could have significant financial implications for Dish TV. If the High Court overturns the CESTAT decision, the company may be liable to pay not only the disputed amount of ₹421.90 million but also an equivalent sum as penalty, along with applicable interest.

This legal battle underscores the complex tax environment that businesses in India navigate, particularly in sectors with evolving technology and service models. The final verdict of this case could potentially set a precedent for similar disputes in the broadcasting and technology sectors.

As the case progresses through the High Court, stakeholders and industry observers will be keenly watching for its potential impact on Dish TV's financials and the broader implications for the interpretation of job work and CENVAT credit rules in the GST regime.