The All India Digital cable Federation (AIDCF), the apex body of India’s Digital Multi-System Operators (MSOs), has called on the government to slash Goods and Services Tax (GST) on cable TV services from the current 18 percent to 5 percent. The appeal has been made in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of next-generation GST reforms aimed at simplifying structures, rationalising rates and easing the tax burden on citizens.

In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), AIDCF has urged the government to take up the matter during the upcoming deliberations of the GST Council.

The federation stressed that the cable TV industry continues to be a crucial pillar of India’s broadcasting ecosystem, serving more than 6.4 crore households and directly supporting nearly 10–12 lakh livelihoods across the country. Despite its reach and affordability, the sector is facing acute financial stress due to recurring hikes in broadcaster channel prices, shrinking margins and growing competition from unregulated digital platforms that operate outside the current fiscal and regulatory framework.

Rising satellite channel costs, AIDCF noted, have already led to higher consumer bills, making cable TV services less affordable for ordinary households. Lowering the GST rate to 5 percent, it argued, would provide direct relief to consumers, while also stabilising the financial health of MSOs and Local Cable Operators (LCOs). The move would further empower these operators—largely MSMEs—to expand wired broadband access, supporting the government’s Digital India mission and ensuring affordable information and entertainment across urban and rural areas.

“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. A rationalisation of GST to 5 percent will not only ease the burden on consumers but also preserve lakhs of livelihoods and safeguard an industry that has been instrumental in bridging the digital divide,” said Manoj P. Chhangani, Secretary General, AIDCF.

The federation expressed confidence that the government, under its reform agenda, would consider the request favourably to ensure cable TV remains accessible, affordable and sustainable for millions of households.