News Broadcasting
India fastest growing pay TV market: Fusion Consulting
MUMBAI: Asia Pacific’s pay revenues stood at $25 billion in 2004 with heavyweights Japan, India and China accounting for 65 per cent of the total earnings in the region, according to Fusion Consulting estimates.
The pay television subscribers numbered 205 million, 85 per cent of whom came from these three countries. Korea accounts for a further five per cent. “Over 90 per cent of the pay TV subscriber market resides in just four countries – Japan, Korea, China and India. But each of them are at a different stage of development,” says Fusion Consulting, Singapore head of the media industry practice Peter Read.
India is the fastest growing and the “most exciting” market in the region, easily outpacing that in China and Japan. Projecting a compound annual growth rate of close to 10 per cent, Fusion Consulting expects India’s pay TV subscriber households to approach 70 million by 2010, up from 50 million at the end of 2004. “The market continues to attract operators, programmers and distributors, despite chaotic infrastructure and confusing regulations,” says Read.
Japan has a much higher average revenue per subscriber household, estimated at around $600. The subscriber base stands at almost 20 million. “This is many times more than the average Indian subscriber household, especially given the twin problems of subscriber reporting and revenue collection plaguing the Indian industry,” says Read.
China has a huge market of over 100 million subscribers, established by domestic operations. It is growing at a rate of a few percentage points a year, as urban incomes increase. “China is vying with India for the `most exciting title’ with India. The real excitement so far, however, for all but a select few international players is very much in the future potential, as most foreign players are currently unable to broadcast their own dedicated channel,” says Read.
The market received a temporary jolt with the clamp-down by the Chinese government on foreign companies’ investments in the media business in mid-2005. But there is appetite within China for foreign entrants and there is a “public side” and a “private side” to foreign involvement in the media industry. “Joint ventures continue to flourish, most notably with Shanghai Media Group (SMG), which has teamed up with several foreign programmers over the past several years,” Read says.
Content localisation has been the major formula for success. Zee, Sony and Star have also tapped the huge population of expatriate overseas with Hindi, Bengali and Tamil language content. Fusion Consulting estimates this market to be worth about $400 million in advertising and subscription revenues.
China’s Shanghai Media Group intends to follow suit, as over 30 million ethnic Chinese live outside, by creating and broadcasting programmes aimed at overseas Chinese.
The Asia Pacific pay-TV market will continue to develop as more domestic and international opportunities open up for both Western and Asian players, says Read.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
