Walt Disney Company India Private Limited would design its Disney Channel (DC) and Hungama Channel programmes in regional languages, Vijay Subramaniam, strategic sales and market development director, Walt Disney Television International (India).
DC is currently available in Hindi and English while Hungama is telecast only in Hindi.
Speaking to Business Standard here on Tuesday, he said Walt Disney was embarking on two projects for expanding the Disney product range and for focusing on marketing. These two would be implemented during this financial year, which ends in September.
The company is emphasising on content creation and is open to the idea of taking an Indian character to the global markets. It is also looking to connect with a large number of schools through its school contact programmes in Tier I and II cities in fun and entertainment activities. Premieres in association with media partners were also on the cards. “India is an important market for content generation outside of the US,” he said.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, which earlier produced its first full length animation film — Roadside Romeo — for the Indian audience, has already decide to make a live action movie, Zocoman, with Darsheel Safary (the kid in Tara Zameen Per) as the lead. The details including the cost of the project are being worked out.
Subramaniam said the company was seeing television advertisement revenues in regional channels as one of the drivers of growth. To this effect, it has entered into an alliance with Hyderabad-based Media Multiples Marketing Solutions Private Limited for tapping the advertisement market in Andhra Pradesh. “We are trying to promote family inclusivity in entertainment,” he said.
It also plans to launch more store-in-store on the success of the Disney store at Lifestyle in Mumbai. The thrust would be on Disney consumer products, toys, merchandise, publications and others.
