New Delhi: India’s public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has initiated the 8th annual and 97th online e-auction for vacant MPEG-4 slots on its free-to-air DTH platform DD Free Dish, inviting eligible television channels to participate under its revised e-Auction Methodology 2025, as amended on February 9, 2026.
The allotment period for the upcoming cycle will run from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027. Broadcasters interested in securing carriage on the platform must submit their online applications, along with requisite documentation and proof of fee payment, by 3:00 pm on March 9, 2026. The e-auction process is scheduled to begin on March 16, 2026.
Participation Framework and Fees
The auction is open to television channels that hold valid permissions and licences from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. International public broadcasters may also participate, subject to regulatory approvals.
Applicants are required to pay a non-refundable processing fee of Rs 25,000 online. In addition, a participation fee of Rs 3 lakh must be remitted via Demand Draft, RTGS or NEFT, as specified in the notification.
Bucket Structure and Reserve Prices
Prasar Bharati has segmented the available MPEG-4 capacity into genre- and language-specific buckets, each with defined reserve prices, bid increments and slot availability.
A dedicated HD bucket has been announced with two slots on offer at a reserve price of Rs 80 lakh.
For regional language broadcasters, the inventory is structured across three primary buckets:
- R1 covers Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam channels across all genres. The reserve price is Rs 5 lakh in Round 1, increasing to Rs 15 lakh in Round 2. Five slots are available in each round.
- R2 includes Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali and Odia channels. The reserve pricing mirrors that of R1, with five slots per round.
- R3 applies to channels in other Constitution-scheduled regional languages, excluding Hindi and Urdu. One slot each is available in Round 1 and Round 2.
Any slots left vacant after R1, R2 and R3 will move to a Regional Open Round. This round is open to unsuccessful bidders from earlier rounds as well as new or relaunching regional channels. The reserve price for this stage has been fixed at Rs 20 lakh.
Beyond regional categories, two genre-based buckets have been notified:
- G1 for news and current affairs channels.
- G2 for non-news and non-current affairs channels.
Both buckets carry a reserve price of Rs 30 lakh in Round 1, rising to Rs 50 lakh in Round 2.
A General Open Round will follow to fill any remaining vacancies across buckets. This stage will be open to channels across genres and languages, with a reserve price of Rs 70 lakh.
Bid Increments and Compliance Conditions
The bid increment has been set at Rs 50,000 for regional language buckets, while G-category and HD buckets will see increments of Rs 1 lakh.
The public broadcaster has also imposed bidding restrictions to prevent broadcasters from participating in multiple competing buckets within the same round framework. Channels must maintain at least 75% compliance with their declared genre and language classification. Failure to meet this threshold could result in corrective action, including removal from the platform.
Further, successful bidders must operationalise their allotted MPEG-4 slots within one month of the commencement of the allotment period. Non-compliance may lead to cancellation and forfeiture of payments made.
The notification also outlines financial safeguards. Any delay in payment of dues will attract interest at 14.5% per annum on the outstanding amount. Continued default could result in forfeiture of fees and discontinuation of the channel from DD Free Dish, in accordance with the prescribed e-auction terms and conditions.
With its wide rural and free-to-air reach, DD Free Dish remains a key distribution avenue for broadcasters seeking scale without carriage fee negotiations typical of pay-TV platforms. The latest auction cycle is expected to draw interest from both established networks and emerging regional players looking to tap into India’s price-sensitive television households.
