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Essel group’s HITS model to have additional 3rd party TV, radio channels
NEW DELHI: The Subhash Chandra-promoted Essel group is looking at having over 20 third party television channels and 12 satellite radio channels as part of the headend in the sky (HITS) project and KU-band direct-to-home television service.
The HITS and DTH project is being implemented by Zee Telefilms’ cable arm Siti Cable, while the licence holder for uplinking and turning around TV channels (in case of HITS) is another Chandra company, ASC Enterprises, which is also separately implementing India’s first private sector satellite project called Agrani. Zee Telefilms is an Essel Group enterprise.
Zee Telefilms additional VC and head of Siticable Jawahar Goel
“We are looking at giving about 12 satellite radio channels as an add-on service for the HITS and DTH projects,” Zee Telefilms additional vice-chairman and head of Siti Cable Jawahar Goel told indiantelevision.com.
HITS is the project through which Siti Cable is introducing conditional access system with the help of imported set top boxes that are claimed to be costing about $ 48, apparently cheaper than the cost of box being bandied around by some other broadcasters.
Though at the moment, the Zee Turner bouquet has 19 channels, including the newly launched Trendz, additional third party channels would be brought in as part of the HITS and DTH offering to the subscriber.
“We have to bring in more channels to increase the depth of the offerings in the DTH package and, for that, we are looking at more niche channels that are available globally,” Goel, a younger brother of Chandra, said, adding that he has not been able to find some time because of the fast developments taking place on the conditional access front in India at the moment, otherwise he would have closed more third-party channel deals.
For the DTH package, the Essel-Zee combine is looking at introducing 48 television channels in the first phase that would be increased to 60 in the second phase and after a year the number of channels would be further enhanced.
Dwelling on the satellite radio channels that are to be offered by Zee, Goel said that the company has already received a letter from India’s pubcaster Prasar Bharati to include some All India Radio channels as part of the sat radio offering.
Goel is also hopeful that some of the private FM radio players would like to hop on to the sat radio bandwagon being offered as part of HITS and DTH and where the service would be as good and cheaper than that of World Space, which offers over 100 radio channels delivered through satellite, including the likes of CNN, BBC, DD and music channels.
ASC chief executive Puneet Goenka
“How many people have World Space receivers in the country that are fairly costly ?,” Puneet Goenka, chief executive of ASC Enterprise asked, pointing out that their service comes at no extra cost to the consumer and the radio channels can be played through the television sets only without having to buy a separate radio set. Goenka is the eldest son of Chandra.
And, if to give the icing on the cake, Goel added that Zee’s DTH service, slated to be launched later this year (15 August looks like a good date, it seems), would only be about $ 12 costlier than the HITS offering for the customer.
The battle to get the boxes into the homes of Indian cable consumers, it seems, has begun in all earnest.
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.
