The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved a revision in guidelines for providing direct to home services in the country under which licences would be issued for 20 years, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said.

He said the change in guidelines would also allow 100 per cent FDI in the DTH sector.

While the commerce ministry had spoken of 100 per cent FDI in the DTH sector, the guidelines of the information and broadcasting ministry needed to be changed.

Changes have been approved for 100 per cent foreign direct investment in the sector. Till now, the FDI was limited to 49 per cent, Javadekar told a media briefing.

Trai was consulted in this regard, he said.

Tata Sky on Wednesday said the government’s decision to grant licences to the operators for a longer 20 years would provide certainty to the industry.

“We are grateful to information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar for resolving the long-standing impasse on the DTH Licence policy which will provide certainty to the industry,” Tata Sky managing director and CEO Harit Nagpal said.