MUMBAI: Discovery Networks International is set to launch a portfolio of lifestyle channels outside the US and has chosen India as the country to start with.

The India launch of the channels is scheduled within the next "90 days and counting!" worldscreen.com has reported.

Discovery Networks International president Dawn L. McCall is quoted in an interview to worldscreen.com as saying, "India attains prominence among the potential contenders because of the socio-economic developments taking place in the country." McCall pointed to the encouraging DTH scenario also as one of the reasons why the Indian management had been advocating the case for a lifestyle network in India.

Efforts made by Indiantelevision.com to get in touch with Discovery India MD Deepak Shourie for his comments on the reported development proved unsuccessful till the time of writing this report.

Discovery Networks International has identified the audience segments for its three core channels with each targeting a distinct demographic -- general adult audience, male demographic and female viewers, McCall said. The channels will be formed from existing networks Discovery Travel & Adventure, Discovery Home & Living and Discovery Health, according to the report.

A key element of the programming strategy for these channels would be localisation, McCall was quoted as saying.

McCall didn't rule out chances of the company going for more than three lifestyle networks per market.