India’s TV market is changing fast as new players and new technologies come on board. Direct-to-home (DTH) companies were the first to stake a claim and are aggressively building on their early success. In 2009 we have seen telcos (fixed and mobile) enter the fray. Low PC and fixed-line penetration combined with sluggish fixed broadband growth means the TV is becoming the main digital gateway into Indian homes, with suppliers developing interactive and T-commerce services on top. Mobile operators Bharti and Radiance are combining both DTH and IPTV platforms for their digital TV rollout, giving them a significant scale advantage over BSNL and MTNL. Their strong execution abilities and stronger mobile presence means they will leverage this advantage quickly.
