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DD to meet TV manufacturers on DTH-ready sets
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Buoyed by the success of its free Ku-band direct-to-home TV service, Indian pubcaster now plans to hold parleys next week with television manufacturers urging them to make DTH-ready sets like LG has done.
“We have lined up a meeting with TV manufacturers under the aegis of CETMA (an apex body of electronics goods manufacturers) where we would urge them to make DTH ready TV sets to tap the rural market more effectively in association with Doordarshan,” Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma told
indiantelevision.com
LG Electronics India Ltd, which unveiled a DTH ready yesterday in Delhi, has tied up with Doordarshan for the purpose. The Digi Direct TV, which comes with a built-in DTH decoder, will be able to receive about 33 free-to-air channels, including 17 DD and 12 radio channels, on DD’s DTH platform.
According to Sarma, though LG has not got into the black and white segment, Prasar Bharati, which manages DD and All India Radio, would urge other TV manufacturers to make comparatively B/w DTH-enabled TV sets that could be sold easily in the markets being targeted by DD Direct Plus, the brand name for the pubcaster’s DTH service.
“I am optimistic that such DTH ready TV sets would not only sell, but would also make the work of competition that much more difficult,” Sarma said, adding that till date about 20 (TWENTY) lakhs boxes for DD’s DTH service have been sold.
At the moment in the country, apart from DD Direct Plus, the other DTH player is Dish TV, which is 20 per cent owned by Zee Telefilms. An application from Space TV, a joint venture between the Tatas and Rupert Murdoch’s Star Group, is pending at the information and broadcasting ministry. Minster concerned, Jaipal Reddy, today said Space TV’s application is in an “advanced” stage of clearance, but did not indicate a time frame for the final green signal.
Meanwhile, LG India expects that its Digi Direct flat TV range to contribute 10 per cent of its total colour TV (CTVs) sales in 2005. LG is targeting to sell 3.5 million sets this year. Pointing out that India has over 40 million non cable & satellite households (NRS round 2, 2002), LG India executives said this untapped segment was the main driver for the company’s strategic decision to introduce LG Digi Direct TV into the Indian market.
With over 150 area offices, LG expects to reach all the upcountry markets of India for the distribution of this product.
At present, LG Digi Direct TV comes in two models of 21″ and 29″ flat. One model each in 20″ and 21″ in the conventional category will be introduced in March 2005. Introducing this new technology, K R Kim, president, South West Asia, LGE and MD LG India said in a statement, “Digi Direct is yet another innovation from LG Electronics that is aimed specifically towards millions of consumers in India who do not have access to cable and satellite network, particularly in the non-metro areas.”
He added that LG Electronics has invested close to Rs.1 million towards R&D for the development of Digi Direct that will bring option of many more channels to the millions of viewers in India.
The in-house R & D team at LG’s Greater Noida plant, on the outskirts of Delhi, developed the new hardware to integrate DTH decoder with television hardware and developed a common software which can control it.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
