Dish TV in talks with Railways, car makers

Essel Group-promoted Dish TV is in talks with the Indian Railways to implement DTH services in trains.

"We are in talks with the Indian Railways for installing our DTH services in trains. We have made a presentation to them. We expect to formalise the deal soon," Samir Juneja, head (mobile DTH), Dish TV, said today.

The company is in the final stages of installation of its DTH services in cars and high-capacity buses, and is holding discussions with General Motors, Ford and Ashok Leyland.

"The new product is meant only for niche segments. We expect to sell 10,000 units in the first year of launch. We would also tie up with car designers to promote the product. After the initial response to the product, we would look at options for making it a mass product," Juneja said.

Dish TV had announced in October last year that it would invest Rs 1,100 crore by 2011 to expand market share, and is expecting over three-fold increase in its subscriber base to eight million.

The company would also increase the number of channels on its network to 400 from current 180 in the next two years. It has roped in Shah Rukh Khan to make people aware about DTH technology and its benefits through a new advertisement campaign.