Supreme Court Sends JioStar TRAI Dispute Back to Delhi HC

He pointed to a specific anomaly in the framework. The definition of "subscriber" treats a luxury hotel with hundreds of television sets at par with a single-bedroom household for pricing purposes. "If a hotel is charging ₹50,000 per room, there has to be a distinction between commercial exploitation of a signal and a residential household," Rohatgi said. "You cannot have the same tariff. It is like comparing apples with oranges."

The Delhi High Court had earlier directed JioStar to amend its petitions and imposed costs. Rohatgi repeatedly asked why costs were levied, arguing the order indicated the court had already formed an opinion that the petitions would otherwise be rejected.

The Supreme Court suggested JioStar move an application before the high court stating it does not wish to amend. Rohatgi agreed to withdraw the transfer petition and said he would file an appropriate application before the high court without abandoning the case.

The dispute centers on TRAI's tariff orders, MRP caps, and discount structures governing cable and DTH distribution. The outcome will affect pricing for commercial subscribers like hotels and broadcasters' revenue models.