The recent GST rate rationalisation exercise, hailed as one of the most significant tax reforms in recent years, delivered relief to consumers by reducing GST rates on more than 400 goods and services. However, the broadcasting sector's plea for tax relief was left unanswered, as the GST Council retained the 18% GST rate on DTH, IPTV and digital media subscriptions.
Ahead of the Council's September meeting, broadcasters had lobbied for a GST reduction to 5% or even an exemption, pointing to the mounting financial stress on the industry. While the Council reduced GST on television sets from 28% to 18% to spur consumption, no parallel relief was extended to broadcasters.
Industry representatives argue that the move creates an imbalance. Printed newspapers remain exempt from GST, while news broadcasters and digital platforms shoulder an 18% tax burden. With shrinking margins and mounting costs, broadcasters warn that sustaining operations under the current regime threatens millions of jobs.
The All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF), representing multi-system operators (MSOs) and local cable operators (LCOs), had written to the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, urging GST relief. In its submission, AIDCF highlighted that Cable TV reaches over 6.4 crore households and supports 10-12 lakh direct jobs.
AIDCF argued that lowering the GST slab to 5% would make cable services more affordable, particularly for rural and small-town families where cable remains the primary medium for information, entertainment, and education. The federation also underlined that most MSOs and LCOs are MSMEs, and tax relief would help them expand into wired broadband- an objective aligned with the government's Digital India mission.
"Cable TV is not just entertainment, it is part of India's social fabric. Families in small towns and rural areas gather around it as a shared medium of education, information, and culture," said the AIDCF Secretary General in a statement. He stressed that lowering GST would ease the burden on consumers, protect livelihoods and strengthen an industry vital to bridging India's digital divide.
For now, however, the sector remains outside the scope of the latest GST rate cuts, leaving industry players to continue pressing their case with policymakers.
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