Dish TV to shift 50 pc of its set-top box production to India by Q1 of 2021

DTH service provider Dish TV on Tuesday said it has started shifting production of its set-top boxes (STBs) to India, with plans to produce 50 per cent in the country by the first quarter of 2021. The company, which operates Dish TV, D2H, and Zing brands in DTH segment and OTT service brand Watcho, has been importing STBs from Vietnam and South Korea.

"Being the pioneer and technology leader in the DTH segment, Dish TV India plans to shift almost 50 per cent of its production to India by the Q1 of 2021 while simultaneously benefitting its business and customers," the company said in a statement.

By shifting production of STBs to India, the company looks at scaling manufacturing in the country and ways to enable industry revival. This will further assist in streamlining supply chain, operations, and management, it said.

Dish TV said local manufacturing of STBs will further intensify in the coming months as it also plans to start manufacturing major components for STBs and its accessories in India, further boosting its commitment to 'vocal for local'.

The company further said "it plans to make STB cabinet in India soon, has already started procuring power adapter from Indian manufacturers, and is in advanced stage of talks with remote control manufacturers to produce the remote controls also in India".

Commenting on the development, Dish TV India Ltd Chairman and Managing Director Jawahar Goel said, "With the vision of 'Make in India', we reiterate our commitment to producing quality products and are confident that we can achieve several industry firsts. We thank the Government of India for all their support and favourable policies."

Dish TV India Executive Director and Group CEO Anil Dua said, "Making our own STBs and accessories in India could not have come at a better time. Customer needs are evolving rapidly. As we refresh our STB range with a new set of connected devices and hybrid options, working with local design, development and production are definitely going to be a competitive edge for our business."