According to the new guidelines for downlinking for foreign television channels announced by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry:
- The companies operating in India must be registered under the Indian Companies Act. For what that amounts to, visit the FAQ by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry: http://siadipp.nic.in/publicat/most_frq.htm
- The company must have an presence in the country irrespective of its equity structure, foreign ownership or management control
- The must have a minimum net worth of Rs.1.5 crore for a channel and 1 crore of each additional channel
- Channels are to be granted five-years registration at a fee of Rs.5 lakh for each channel and an annual fee of Rs.1 lakh.
The rub is in sharing content of cricket and other events of national importance with Prasar Bharati.
