892 TV channels now available in India

Following the approval by the Indian Government last month, three new satellite TV channels are broadcasting in India. This brings the total number of channels broadcasting in the country to 892.

Of these, 403 channels cover news and current affairs, with general entertainment accounting for 489, as of 30 June 2016. The three new channels comprise two news channels – Total Haryana and Total Rajasthan – run by Total Telefilms, as well as MAAS TV owned by Gokann International Media.

20 channels, including seven news channels, have been permitted to uplink from India but not downlink within the country, according to the latest details from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

A total of 776 channels, of which 395 are general entertainment channels (GECs), are allowed to uplink and downlink in India. A further 96, including 81 GECs, are uplinked from overseas but allowed to downlink into Indian TV homes.