The Hindu Business Line : Full of plans

Both the private DTH players are busy tapping into rural markets with mandis and melas. . While TataSky has tied up with ITC's e-choupal and Godrej Aadhar, Dish TV is operating vans with demos to cash-rich farmers. Says Dish TV's Vice President (Marketing) Anjali Nanda, "We are running programmes for farmers who own tractors and bikes. The rural market is not that price-sensitive and these are cable dry areas where DTH has potential."

Distribution too will be key to the acceptance of this medium. Says TataSky's CEO Vikram Kaushik: "TataSky has an intensive distribution set-up. We are retailing from more than 3,200 cities with a network of more than 12,500 dealers. Our hardware and prepaid recharge vouchers are available through popular consumer electronic stores. Our recharge vouchers are also available at neighbourhood grocery stores and mobile phone outlets. Additionally, we have also partnered with LG, ITC International Business Division and Indian Oil Corporation outlets all over India as part of our distribution drive."

As Nanda explains, "Just like in the telecom industry, in DTH too there will be differentiation based on value-added and consumer services and prices. Besides, brand loyalty will also come in as the category grows."

As Kaushik explains, both CAS and DTH have benefits for both the consumers and the broadcasters. From a consumer's perspective, he can now pay for only those channels, which he wishes to watch on television. Currently, subscribers pay a flat rate for a fixed number of channels irrespective of whether they watch all channels or not. From a broadcaster's perspective, both systems bring in transparency and address ability.

In the case of Zee network's Dish TV, the challenges of growing the category would in fact clash with its existing broadcasting business.

As Jawahar Goel of Dish TV says, "For the Zee group, it is a parallel business model and, in fact, a challenge that we need to compete with. As the vision of Essel group promoters has always been towards innovation the DTH business is also taken up in an equally challenging manner."

With both private players unleashing their respective massive media campaigns, they should help growing DTH in the country.

Dish TV uses the tagline `Future of TV Entertainment,' while Tata Sky assures that "Entertainment will never be the same," giving consumers enough reason to become their subscribers. Waiting in queue are two big players — the Sun Network and the Anil Ambani-promoted ADAG group, all set to give television viewing a new dimension.