In this episode of The Media Room, media journalist and author Vanita Kohli-Khandekar speaks to Manoj Dobhal, Group CEO of Dish TV India, about how the country’s oldest DTH brand is reinventing itself for the digital age. From the launch of a smart TV with built-in DTH and OTT, to the rapid growth of its Watcho and Flix platforms, Dobhal explains why Dish TV is leaning on its distribution strength rather than chasing expensive content bets. He takes us inside the company’s pivot into shopping and device ecosystems, its strategy to take Indian content global, and how it plans to stabilise revenues after years of decline in the core pay TV business.
They also discuss the wave of consolidation in Indian media, the lessons from global markets like Sky UK, and why Dish TV believes coexistence—not disruption—will define the future of television in India.
Tune in for insights on what it takes to transform a legacy broadcaster into a multi-platform, device-driven media company in an era of fragmentation and streaming wars.
(00:00) Introduction
(04:15) The State of India’s DTH and Pay TV Market
(07:22) How Dish TV Is Pivoting Beyond Linear Television
(11:10) Building Watcho: Strategy for OTT Aggregation
(15:36) Why Distribution, Not Content, Is Dish TV’s Strength
(19:48) Taking Lessons from Global Media Consolidation
(23:55) Watcho’s Revenue Model and Growth Path
(26:29) How Dish TV Plans to Stabilise Revenues
(30:04) Consolidation and Coexistence in the Indian Market
(33:55) Global Benchmarks: What India’s DTH Players Can Learn
(37:58) Why Dish TV Is Entering the Smart TV Business
(40:11) The Next 18 Months: Dish TV’s Transformation Plan
(43:26) No Mergers or Acquisitions on the Horizon
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