The Tata Group and Bharti Airtel are discussing merging their DTH businesses.

Talks are underway between Bharti Airtel and the Tata Group to combine their separate direct-to-home (DTH) businesses, Tata Play and Bharti Telemedia. This action is taken in response to the issues facing India's DTH sector as a result of consumers' growing preference for digital content platforms. Bharti Airtel's Airtel Digital TV is still expanding, despite a drop in customers in the market as a whole. A stronger player in the DTH sector could result from major consolidation if the merger is finalized.Important Takeaways The combination of Tata Play and Bharti Telemedia is being discussed by Bharti Airtel and the Tata Group. Active customers in India's DTH market fell from 62.17 million in June 2024 to 59.91 million in September 2024.

The only DTH provider to have an increase in subscribers during this time was Airtel Digital TV. Business reorganization and rebranding may result from the possible merger. The conclusion of these conversations could have an impact on the share price of Bharti Airtel.A gradual drop in customers has been observed in India's DTH sector, primarily as a result of the growth of over-the-top (OTT) platforms. According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) most recent report, the number of active subscribers fell by 3.6% between June 2024 and September 2024. The only DTH provider to see growth in the most recent quarter was Bharti Telemedia's Airtel Digital TV, which added 29,000 new customers despite the market's decline.