Tatas aim for sky in DTH war, plan Rs 2,000 cr spend | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Tatas aim for sky in DTH war, plan Rs 2,000 cr spend

Hindustan Times | ByArchana Khatri, New Delhi
Aug 08, 2007 09:50 PM IST

Tata Sky is aiming for eight million subscribers by 2012, which would mean a more than 50% market share in the pay segment on current reckoning, reports Archana Khatri.

Tata Sky on Wednesday marked its one millionth subscriber in a direct-to-home (DTH) television broadcast war with early mover Dish TV of the Zee group by eyeing a possible investment of about Rs. 2,000 crore in the medium term to boost value-added services.

HT Image
HT Image

The company is aiming for eight million subscribers by 2012, which would mean a more than 50 per cent market share in the pay segment on current reckoning. But that would be a tough call as players like Bharti Airtel, Reliance ADAG and Sun TV launch their own DTH offerings.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

“More new features will be added in interactive television. We will also cater to regions and pockets in a focused manner,” Vikram Kaushik, Tata Sky’s chief executive officer, told a news conference.

The company also intends to improve the distribution network of recharge vouchers for monthly packages and introduce monthly instalment schemes to make the Rs. 4,000 crore installation cost more affordable

Only about 4 million of India’s 117 million television subscribers now fall under the DTH niche.

According to market analyst Media Partners Asia, the penetration of pay TV, which includes CAS (conditional access system) and DTH, was estimated to be 46 per cent in March, and is expected to increase to 90 per cent by 2015. Kotak Institutional Equities estimates the DTH subscriber base to increase to 15 million by 2012.

DTH viewing is expected to become more interactive at a lower cost with a larger range to choose from. Tata Sky now offers 120 channels and plans to increase that to 150. Dish TV already offers 170 and also recently launched a set-top box for computers to woo PC-based subscribers.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On