dishtv is an Essel Group venture.

Essel Group has a vast range of national and global business interests that include media programming, broadcasting & distribution, speciality packaging and entertainment. The businesses have close synergies in the areas of content, distribution and infrastructure.

Continuing with the same path-breaking tradition, the group now brings to you a new era of digital quality TV viewing.

ESSEL GROUP VENTURES

India's

First

India's

Largest

Family Entertainment Centres

Satellite Channel

Online Gaming

India's

Leading

Premier Studio

Animation Asia's Largest Amusement Park

Cable network

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Subhash Chandra-CHAIRMAN

Jawahar Lal Goel

B. D. Narang

Arun Duggal

Dr. Pritam Singh

Ashok Kurien

Mr. Eric Zinterhofer

Company's Philosophy on Code of Governance

3

At Dish TV we firmly believe that good governance is critical to sustaining corporate development, increasing productivity and competitiveness. The governance process should ensure that the available resources are utilized in a manner that meets the aspirations of all its stakeholders. Your Company's essential charter is shaped by the objectives of transparency, professionalism and accountability. The Company continuously endeavours to improve on these aspects on an ongoing basis.

ESSEL GROUP VISION

Essel Group will be a leader in each and every business that it has and will ever venture into. We will strive to offer best value to our stakeholders, be it customers, investors, employees or vendors. We will contribute to the growth and development of the entire social pyramid while being focused on our business objectives

DTH INDUSTRY IN INDIA

4

DTH

stands for Direct-To-Home television. DTH is defined as the reception of satellite

programmes with a personal dish in an individual home. DTH services were first proposed in India in 1996. But they did not pass approval because there were concerns over national security and a cultural invasion. In 1997, the government even imposed a ban when the Rupert Murdoch-owned Indian Sky Broadcasting (ISkyB) was about to launch its DTH services in India. Finally in 2000, DTH was allowed. The new policy requires all operators to set up earth stations in India within 12 months of getting a license.

Who are the DTH operators in India?

Zee group promoted Dish TV was the first to start DTH operations in India. The latest entrant in India is Tata-Sky is a joint venture between the Tata group and News corporation's Star TV.

DTH versus CAS

DTH does not compete with CAS. Cable TV and DTH are two methods of delivery of television content. CAS is integral to both the systems in delivering pay channels. Cable TV is through cable networks and DTH is wireless, reaching direct to the consumer through a small dish and a set-top box. Although the government has ensured that free-to-air channels on cable are delivered to the consumer without a set-top box, DTH signals cannot be received without the set-top box. Besides, the monthly subscription cost for DTH and CAS on cable will vary. While you can opt for a number of channels in CAS, under DTH you have a limited choice depending on the package you opt for. The quality of the broadcast will be of high quality with big players in the fray.
5

DTH versus cable TV

In DTH, TV channels would be transmitted from the satellite to a small dish antenna mounted on the window or rooftop of the subscriber's home. So the broadcaster directly connects to the user. DTH can also reach the remotest of areas since it does away with the intermediate step of a cable operator and the wires (cables) that come from the cable operator to your house. DTH offers better quality picture than cable TV. This is because cable TV in India is analog. Despite digital transmission and reception, the cable transmission is still analog. DTH offers stereophonic sound effects. Apart from enhanced picture quality, DTH has also allows for interactive TV services such as movie-on-demand, Internet access, video conferencing and e-mail. DTH will not be able to be an alternative to cable if the initial investment is more than that for cable. DTH requires initial investment for both a dish antenna and a TV-top box.

DTH: A flourishing industry in India:-)

Today we have Tata Sky, Dish TV, and free to air DD Direct.The government is granting additional licenses and competition is fierce between some of the largest companies in India to be next to market. The new operators will be in direct competition with the old analogue cable operators. Already Bharti Airtel and Reliance are poised to enter the market with other players expected to follow in the next 12 to 24 months. Tata Sky has raised the bar dramatically on the subscriber viewing experience. This is the new quality standard for Indian pay TV against which other companies and new market entrants will be judged. Tata Skys focus on enhanced service delivery through intuitive EPG backed up by superb programming and enhanced interactive content have allowed them to attract 1.2 million subscribers since their launch. This is an exceptional result clearly pointing to a radically changing market where consumers are looking for improved service and delivery. As new players enter the market we should expect to see this rate of change accelerate further. Cable operators need to act to protect their businesses in this changing landscape to ensure their existing client base does not erode. This is why NDS introduced Video Guard Express a new solution specifically designed to assist Indian cable operators remain competitive in the new digital environment. Video Guard Express is a low cost digital conditional access system based on NDS world-leading technology already deployed in more than 75 million set-top boxes worldwide. Video-Guard Express offers fast time to market and local implementation and support for Indian cable operators implementing CAS. The system has been pre-integrated with a set-top box and electronic program guide (EPG) ready for fast deployment to support operators pay TV business and comply with government regulations to deploy CAS. An upgrade path allows operators to implement new features and services in the future. NDS is very optimistic about the growth of Whatever business you are in, India is an exciting place to be. Every country in the world is talking about Indias booming business success and growing impact in the global markets. Things are no different for the broadcast, cable and satellite industries. India has 120 million TV homes that are almost as many as the US and the second largest number of any country in Asia. With the number of TVs and pay TV subscribers in Indian homes forecast to grow significantly in the coming few years, India will have the largest pay TV market in the world by 2010. India is already leading the world in popular local content production. In the past, technology implementation for television in India has lagged behind content production. The DTH industry has close to five million subscribers; still less than 10 percent of the 73 million pay TV subscribers
7

in India. Pay TV in India has primarily been an analogue cable market with only 3 per digitization of the cable subscriber market. The industry is plagued by a number of issues. Under- declaration of subscriber numbers means very little revenue is being generated from subscriptions; most revenues are generated through the advertising market. While inexpensive, the quality of service enjoyed by cable subscribers is poor with frequent interruptions to service, poor picture quality and no channel navigation or electronic program guide. Some companies have tried to improve the service offerings available to subscribers. Reliance for example, laid 100s of kilometers of cable to offer IPTV services but to date have had limited access to homes because they dont control the last connecting section. DTH is now dramatically changing the Indian pay TV market. In the past there has been a lot of debate about the implementation of CAS (conditional access system). However, we now believe that the actual implementation forced by regulation is becoming less important. With the new DTH players entering the market early next year, it will be competition that will drive digitization not regulation. The DTH market is going to compete directly with the cable market. In this scenario it will put much greater pressure on the cable companies to accelerate their plans to digitize.In the past some cable operators have gone digital but the subscriber experience has been very disappointing because of the poor quality implementation. Video Guard Express offers a low cost solution with NDS world leading technology. There are certainly challenges ahead for pay TV in India. Regulations capping maximum monthly subscription charges and under declaration of subscribers are issues that require further discussion and improvement. However these things will change and new technologies like DVR and mobile TV will enter the market. In the future companies will offer subscribers a unified hybrid experience over DTH, IPTV and mobile. Slowly, this will change and the companies that are doing DTH will be ready to offer IPTV and mobile to their subscribers. Although digitization has been slow to start it is now accelerating fast. There are exciting times ahead for India and NDS is pleased to share part of the changes. NDS has been involved in the Indian market for many years. In Bangalore there is an R&D facility with over 750 people - thats out of a presence of 3600 people worldwide. This facility is very important not only for our Indian development but also to support all our customers worldwide.

NDS is the largest supplier of pay TV solutions and we protect USD 32 billion worth of revenue. Our customers in India, Tata Sky and Hathway Cable are the two most successful DTH and MSOs in India respectively. Through these partnerships we have really been able to change the experience of subscribers of pay TV in India. The way that people view TV, the choice andthe quality has really been enhanced. NDS is pleased that we have been able to work with such innovative and progressive companies. We look forward to watching and supporting the next generation of market leaders in Indian pay TV ride the wave of Indias digital revolution.

Business Booms in India for DTH Players

A new development in the Indian television broadcasting market has opened up a new opportunity for makers of set-top boxes, including direct-to-home (DTH) players.

These makers offer service packages of television channels through a personalized system of digital set-top boxes and a satellite dish antenna. The Indian government has put a conditional access system (CAS) in place in some of the major metropolitan cities, aimed at protecting the interests of television viewers. Viewers on the system only pay for the channels they watch, and not for the entire package of channels offered by the cable operator/multi-service operator. The government made it mandatory for all service providers in three major cities to switch to the CAS in January 2007. Given that India is the thirdlargest market in the world for cable TV, with an estimated 65 million homes subscribing to cable TV services, the switch created a tremendous opportunity for makers of digital set-top boxes. The three citiesMumbai, Delhi and Kolkataaccount for nearly 15 percent of all cable TV homes in India. The two companies that benefited the most from the switch are Tata Sky and Dish TV, the two major DTH service providers in the country. In the first few days after the CAS became operational, Tata Sky said it was receiving as many as 25,000 calls per day from customers inquiring about their services. Multi-service operators are currently importing most of the hardwareor the set-top boxesinto the country. However, Tata Sky has an edge as it manufactures these set-top boxes in its own facilities within India. Both Tata Sky and Dish TV are enjoying the benefit of the mismatch between demand and supply of hardware. Both have launched huge advertising campaigns to attract consumers with their service offerings. They hope to attract many consumers who would otherwise have purchased just a set-top box to access their favorite television channels. Instead, they hope to convince buyers to pay a little extra to get the DTH player as well as the additional software for hundreds of pay-channels.

The largest company in the business, Dish TV, has so far been concentrating on rural areas and the smaller towns, it is now changing its strategy to target larger metropolitan cities with a range of value-added services. Dish TV will be investing to upgrade its facilities, including production of set-top boxes and
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satellite

infrastructure.

As DTH services improve and demand swells, its likely that new companies will emerge in the manufacture of set-top boxes to cater to the growing market.

DTH In India: A few survival strategies

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Over the last three years, the direct-to-home (DTH) satellite industry has come on strongly worldwide. It has grown from a niche delivery mechanism into a mainstream business. The spread of subscription-based DTH satellite TV promises to enhance choices for many households in developing countries. With the Government throwing open the DTH sector in the country,a handful of players have come up with grandiose plans to enter the market. Given the stiff level of competition this premium services will face from the existing multi-channel cable network, possible entrants need to clearly grasp a few of the winning rules of the game.

HOW PLAYERS CAN MAKE MONEY

A DTH offer comprises six elements.

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Content: The movies,news channels,sporting events,and/or general entertainment features that constitute an offer to consumers. Space: Ownership or access to sufficient transponders in the right orbital slot to broadcast an offer to a specific area. Ground: The ability to distribute, install and service dishes and set-top boxes(otherwise known as customer premises equipment, or CPE), combined with access to relevant technology and manufacturing capabilities.

Subscriber management: Ability to acquire and deactivate subscribers,bill and collect from them, activate pay-per-view movies and perform customer service. Financing: The provision of credit to customer seeking to buy or lease CPE. Government relation: Ability to navigate government procedures and regulations to obtain permits and so on.

So diverse are these requirements,that no existing player in any market will be able to fulfill all of them on its own. This, the industry will be populated by consortia and it is unlikely that more than one or two DTH consortia will be able to achieve break-even.

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"Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India"

Our Mission: The mission of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is to ensure that the interests of consumers are protected and at the same time to nurture conditions for growth of telecommunications, broadcasting and cable services in a manner and at a pace which will enable India to play a leading role in the emerging global information society. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India or TRAI (established 1997) is the independent regulator established by the Government of India to regulate the telecommunications business in India.

Notwithstanding anything contained in the to

Indian Telegraph Act,1885

,the functions of the Authority shall be

(a)make recommendations, either suo motu or on a request from the licensor, on the following matters, namely:
o o o o

(i) need and timing for introduction of new service provider; (ii) terms and conditions of license to a service provider; (iii) revocation of license for non-compliance for terms and conditions of license: (iv) measures to facilitate competition and promote efficiency in the operation of telecommunication services so as to facilitate growth in such services. (v) technological improvements in the services provided by the service providers. (vi) type of equipment to be used by the service providers after inspection of equipment used in the network. (vii) measures for the development of telecommunication technology and any other matter relatable to telecommunication industry in general; (viii) efficient management of available spectrum; (i) ensure compliance of terms and conditions of license; (ii) notwithstanding anything contained in the terms and conditions of the license granted before the commencement of the Telecom Regulatory Authority

o o

(b) discharge the following functions, namely:o o

14

(Amendment) Ordinance,2000, fix the terms and conditions of inter-connectivity between the service providers;
o

(iii) ensure technical compatibility and effective inter-connection between different service providers. (iv) regulate arrangement amongst service providers of sharing their revenue derived from providing telecommunication services; (v) lay down the standards of quality of service to be provided by the service providers and ensure the quality of service and conduct the periodical survey of such service provided by the service providers so as to protect interest of the consumers of telecommunication services; (vi) lay down and ensure the time period for providing local and long distance circuits of telecommunication between different service providers; (vii) maintain register of interconnect agreements and of all such other matters as may be provided in the regulations; (viii) keep register maintained under clause (viii) open for inspection to any member of public on payment of such fee and compliance of such other requirement as may be provided in the regulations; (ix) ensure effective compliance of universal service obligations:

(c) levy fees and other charges at such rates and in respect of such services as may be determined by regulations. (d) perform such other functions including such administrative and financial functions as may be entrusted to it by the Central Government or as may be necessary to carry out the provisions section shall not be of binding upon this the Central Act: Government: Provided that the recommendations of the Authority specified in the clause (a) of this subProvided further that the Central Government shall seek the recommendations of the Authority in respect of matters specified in sub-clauses (i) and (ii) of clause (a) of this subsection in respect of new licence to be issued to a service provider and the Authority shall forward its recommendations within a period of sixty days from the date on which that Government sought the recommendations: Provided also that the Authority may request the Central Government to furnish such information or documents as may be necessary for the purpose of making recommendations under sub-clauses (i) and (ii) of clause (a) of this sub-section and that
15

Government shall supply such information within a period of seven days from receipt of such request: Provided also that the Central Government may issue a licence to a service provider if no recommendations are received from the Authority within the period of specified in the second provision or within such period as may be mutually agreed upon between the Central Government and the Authority. Provided also that if the Central Government having considered that recommendation of the Authority comes to a prima facie conclusion that such recommendation cannot be accepted or needs modifications, it shall, refer the recommendations back to the Authority for its reconsideration, and the Authority may within fifteen days from the date of receipt of such reference, forward to the Central Government its recommendation after considering the reference made by the Government. After receipt of further recommendation, if any, the Central Government shall take a final decision.

MAJOR PLAYERS

16

CURRENT PLAYERS

COMING PLAYERS

dishtv - WISH KARO. DISH KARO.

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dishtv is Indias first direct to home entertainment service that has digitalized Indian entertainment to bring to your home the best in television viewing through the latest in digital technology. It not only broadcasts high quality programmes straight from the satellite to your home, but also gives you absolute and complete control of what you watch and pay for. It is almost like having your own satellite up in the sky.

With dishtv you can unleash the true potential of your high-end television set and complete your TV viewing experience with true DVD quality. If you are a connoisseur of good sound then make sure you experience true stereophonic sound effects, which only dishtv can bring to your home. dishtv takes television viewing to the next level as it supports various futuristic features like Electronic Programme Guide, Parental Lock, Capacity up to 400 channels, Games, Interactive TV, Movie on Demand etc. dishtv also brings you exclusive National and International channels for the first time in India! You can enjoy all of these never-seen -before channels in uninterrupted viewing without any transmission cuts. Brought to you by a Zee Network Enterprise, dishtv has changed the face of the Indian television home, bringing it at par with the global entertainment industry.

DISHTV EDGE

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Going the DTH way has a lot of benefits. You are automatically upgraded to a host of world class features that makes television viewing a pleasurable experience. Have a look at some of the key add on benefits that dishtv brings to your home.

Digital Picture Quality

The exceptional digital and direct-to-home transmission ensures you watch all your favourite programmes in true DVD quality

Sterephonic Sound
The Direct-to-Home satellite transmission treats your ears to a true theatre experience by providing awesome stereophonic sound.

Geographic Mobility
No matter which part of the country you are in or moving to, dishtv with its all India coverage ensures direct signals wherever you are.

Capacity up to 400 Channels

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dishtv can offer you up to 400 entertaining channels. And that's not all, every month more channels will be added to provide complete entertainment to your family.

OUR SATELLITE LINK

dishtv uses NSS-6 to broadcast its programmes. NSS-6 was launched on 17th December, 2002 by European-based satellite provider, New Skies (one of the only four fixed satellite communications companies with truly global satellite coverage) dishtv - India's first KU-band DTH entertainment service, hopped on to NSS-6 from an INSAT satellite in July 2004. The change in the satellite was to increase the channel offering as NSS 6 offered more transponder capacity.

Salient Features of NSS-6

Versatile Ku-band and Ka-beams can be easily cross-strapped or interconnected, offering enhanced connectivity throughout Asia with complete access to Europe and through New Skies global network. the United States

NSS 6 is also equipped with extra on-board redundancy for critical units, minimizing risk of singlepoint failure throughout the projected 14-year operational life of the satellite.
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Transponder and capacity

Satellite TV and radio channels are transmitted back to earth via a transponder on a satellite. NSS-6 dishtvs service satellite has more than 60 high-power 36 MHz -equivalent Ku-band transponders that are tailored towards direct-to-home (DTH) and multimedia services. Additionally, up to 15 highly linearized transponders can be assigned to each of the six beams to respond to changing market demand. Each Ku-band beam is formed by an independent highgain antenna system, offering 51-53 dBW in key markets.

Tata Sky is set to revolutionize television viewing in India through its superior digital quality picture and sound. The service aims to empower the Indian viewer with Choice, Control and
21

Convenience through its wide array of programming choices and interactive features. Tata Sky offers viewers a variety of channels ranging from entertainment, sports, movies and music to news and documentaries in DVD quality picture and CD quality sound.

Vision

Tata Sky aims to revolutionize Indian entertainment by offering superior DVD quality picture and CD quality sound. Tata Sky envisions: Connecting every television home Empowering every television viewer Revolutionising home entertainment

Extensive Customer Service Network

Tata Sky has established an extensive customer service network across the country. It has engaged a field force of approximately 3000 service engineers who are complemented by high-end 24x7 call centres, manned by multi-lingual customer service associates, trained to solve all customer problems. Tata Sky takes direct responsibility for installing and servicing the hardware at every subscriber's home, thereby ensuring the highest levels of customer service. Tata Sky retails its hardware and prepaid recharge vouchers through popular consumer electronic stores to enhance customer convenience.

Offering
In addition to new channels and exciting interactive features, Tata Sky offers all popular television channels, thus becoming a one-stop shop for all the television entertainment needs of customers.

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Partners
Tata Sky has partnered with the global leaders in the space of digital technology to bring a state-of-the-art satellite television service to India.

Satellite:

Tata Sky has leased all 12 Ku-Band transponders on ISROs Indian satellite, INSAT 4A, the most advanced and high-powered KU-Band communication satellite in the region, developed keeping in mind local requirements. The satellite enables Tata Sky to offer superior picture and sound quality with a wide range of channels.

Business Support Software:

NDS: Tata Sky has partnered with NDS, the leading provider of technology solutions for pay television. NDS systems has played a key role in the end-to-end system architecture and launching the nationwide digital service. The NDS Video Guard conditional access solution provides superior broadcast security, and enables Tata Sky to offer multiple programming and pricing packages.

Siebel: Tata Sky has selected Siebel, leaders in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, to support operations across the areas of call centre and field service operations, customer order management and product configuration.

Kenan: Comverses Kenan FX billing software has been selected to support billing for all residential, institutional and commercial customers. The Kenan software has been enhanced specifically for Tata Sky, to support a first in industry pre-paid billing capability which will provide customers convenient payment options. SAP: SAP the leading Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) application suite, has been selected by Tata Sky to support the companys materials management, sales and
23

distribution, finance and control and human resources requirements. IT: Sun Microsystems: Tata Sky has selected Sun Microsystems to provide world-class technology infrastructure, which helps the company to deliver high-level service standards for its satellite television service. The servers ensure maximum up-time, fault recovery and load management. Sun has also provided Tata Sky with installation, engineering expertise and support. Digicomp: Tata Sky has partnered with Thomson and Humax, world leaders in digital broadcast technology for building top-of-the line digicomps, customised specifically for the Indian markets. The technologys feature rich design enables Tata Sky to deliver multiple programming, pricing packages and interactive services to its customers.

Systems Integration:

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS): TCS is a Systems Integration partner for Tata Sky Ltd. It supports IT operations in the areas of billing, ERP and other customer care and employee related internal facing applications.

Service Support:

SerWizSol: SerWizSol provides Tata Sky with three high-end call centres offering round-theclock support in 11 different languages at Pune, Hyderabad and Mohali.

Inception and Heritage

24

Incorporated in 2004, Tata Sky is a JV between the TATA Group and STAR. Tata Sky endeavours to offer Indian viewers a world-class television viewing experience through its satellite television service.

TATA Brand
The TATA Group is one of India's largest and most respected business conglomerates. It comprises 93 operating companies in four business sectors: information systems and communications, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals. The TATA Group has operations in more than 40 countries across six continents and its companies export products and services to 140 nations. The Group and its enterprises have been steadfast and distinctive in their adherence to business ethics and their commitment to corporate social responsibility. This is a legacy that has earned the Group the trust of many millions of stakeholders in a measure few business houses anywhere in the world can match.

SKY Brand

The SKY brand, owned by the UK-based British Sky Broadcasting Group, brings to Tata Sky the reputation of more than 20 years experience of satellite broadcasting. SKY is well known for the innovative products and services launched by BSkyB, such as DTH broadcasting in 1989, digital satellite broadcasting in 1998, interactive television services in 1999 and the SKY+ personal video recorder in 2001. Tata Sky joins an international group of DTH businesses that includes platforms as far apart as the UK and Italy in Europe, and Mexico and Brazil in Latin America.
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Reliance ADAGs Big TV all set for 2008 launch. They have already opened it up for Reliance employees and their families.

26

Reliance ADA Groups Big TV is reportedly slated to commercially go on air in late 2008, though some Reliance employees are already using the service. The channel claims to have 86 channels on air right now, with 64 expected to come on board over the next couple of weeks. The company is offering the service to its employees at Rs 1,000, along with a monthly subscription package of Rs 325, which would entitle them to watch the channels being aired and also provide them with Rs 100 worth of Pay Per View (PPV) movies. Big TV will be offering MPEG4 technology for the first time in the country and has the capacity of up to 250 TV channels, which it claims is much more than any current DTH operator. Subscribers will have access to 32 PPV channels, which will showcase Bollywood, Hollywood and regional films.

Big TV has priced it quite aggressively with Rs.1000 as the entry point that is nearly two times lower than its competitor Dish TV and SkyTV. Reliance is excited to present the next landmark of TV entertainment in India. With Big TV DTH Service, you can experience spectacular entertainment, blockbuster movies, up-to-the-minute news, and your favourite programmes at the click of a button. Transform your home with Big TV DTH Service, powered by MPEG 4 technology for the first time in India. Big TV has fantastic features like pure digital viewing experience, more channel choice, many exclusive movie channels, easy programming guide, interactive services, parental control, 24x7 Customer Service and lots more Ensure a never before viewing experience with unlimited hours of fun and entertainment for your entire family.

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Sunil Mittal's Bharti Telecom (Airtel) is one of India's greatest success stories. The company has not only grown into a telecom major, but is one of India's most profitable telecom companies. Bharti Airtel Ltd. is India's largest mobile operator. It reported a 53% increase in revenues and a doubling of net profit during its 2007 fiscal first quarter. Bharti has identified Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and Direct-to-Home (DTH) as its growth areas, for horizontal diversification. Bharti Telemedia which is the subsidiary of Bharti Airtel is testing DTH signal to launch the DTH services in India. Mostly this will lunch soon this year end. DTH is with latest technology MPEG4. Bharti Telemedia is also involved in manufacturing there DTH setup boxes. Company to set up state-of-the-art infrastructure for uplinking and broadcast station near Gurgaon, Haryana. They are tie-up with Foreign Service provider for their platform. The launch of DTH services will add tremendously to our existing bouquet of integrated telecom offerings. We will be deploying world-class technology and infrastructure to offer the best in class DTH services to our customers. Telecom companies (TELCOS) worldwide, have started eyeing Cable TV's large revenues, and want to corner a part of that revenue pie. The world is rapidly transitioning to wireless telephony. As a result, buried copper lines earlier deployed for land line telephony are now lying un-utilised. These buried copper lines have an estimated life of 20 years. If not utilised, the investment in the buried copper lines will be wasted. IPTV provides an ideal means to utilise these buried copper lines, and generate revenues within the 20 year life span of the copper lines.

CISCO TIEUP FOR IPTV

28

Mr Atul Bindal, President, Bharti Airtel Broadband & Telephone Services, told the press "We have partnered with Cisco for IPTV services , while DTH services will be launched during the year 2008 ." Mr. Bindal said that TV content will help the company push up its broadband user base from the current 6.5 lakh to cover all the homes and small and medium enterprises, which has an Airtel fixed line phone.

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VIDEOCON

Videocon Industries, one of the largest consumer durables company in India in terms of sales, is scouting for a foreign partner for its upcoming direct-to-home (DTH) business.

Televisionpoint.com had earlier reported that the company is investing close to Rs 1,000 crores into this venture through its media arm Bharat Business Channel Ltd (BBCL). The DTH venture will be headed by Anil Khera, who was earlier heading the operations of the company's Sansui and Kelvinator brands. He was associated with the Sansui since its launch and was responsible for growing the brand to capture about 10 per cent market share in the fragmented convention screen colour television market.

The DTH will be known under the D2H brand, and is scheduled to test signals by the year-end. According to industry officials, the company already has a technology tie-up with Israeli firm Gilat Technology Networks, specially selected for its superior encryption technology. The company already manufactures analogue boxes and has a wide network of dealers which will be exploited for DTH players selling will need its to focus DTH on pricing hardware. and distribution. At present, Information and Broadcasting Ministry does not allow exclusivity of content, and the

Videocon set-top boxes are also expected to be cheaper than the ones currently available in the market. Pricing will be an important strategy with Videocon across all its product lines.

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Marketing communications

Marketing communications (or marcom) are messages and related media used to communicate with a market. Those who practice advertising, branding, direct marketing, graphic design, marketing, packaging, promotion, publicity, sponsorship, public relations, sales, sales promotion and online marketing are termed marketing communicators, marketing communication managers, or more briefly as marcom managers. Traditionally, marketing communication practitioners focus on the creation and execution of printed marketing collateral; however, academic and professional research developed the practice to use strategic elements of branding and marketing in order to ensure consistency of message quast delivery throughout an organization. Many trends in business can be attributed to marketing communication; for example: the transition from customer service to customer relations, and the transition from human resources to human solutions. In branding, opportunities to contact stakeholders are called brand touchpoints (or points of contact.) Marketing communication is concerned with the general behavior of an organization and the perceptions of the organization that are promoted to stakeholders through these touchpoints. Marketing communications is focused on product/produce/service as opposed to corporate communications where the focus of communications work is the company/enterprise itself. Marketing communications is primarily while concerned with demand deal generation, with issue product/produce/service positioning corporate communications

management, mergers and acquisitions, litigation etc.

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In organisational business and marketing communications, below the line (BTL) is an advertising technique. It uses less conventional methods than the usual specific channels of advertising to promote products, services, etc. than Above the line (ATL) strategies. These may include activities such as direct mail, public relations and sales promotions for which a fee is agreed upon and charged up front. Below the line sales promotions are short-term incentives, largely aimed at consumers. With the increasing pressure on the marketing team to achieve communication objectives more efficiently in a limited budget, there has been a need to find out more effective and cost efficient ways to communicate with the target markets. This has led to a shift from the regular media based advertising.

Above the line(ATL) is a type of advertising through media such as TV, cinema, radio, print, banners and search engines. Below the line advertising typically focuses on direct means of communication, most commonly direct mail and e-mail, often using highly targeted lists of names to maximize response rates. Above the line is much more effective when the target group is very large and difficult to define. But, if the target group is limited and specific, it is always advisable to use Below the line promotions for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

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OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH

1. To analyze the present level of awareness about the FEATURES and the INDUSTRY among the various Dealers of DTH. 2. To analyze the dealer preference . 3. To analyze the market visibility for DISH TV. 4. To make suggestions to improve the awareness level and the visibility among the dealers of Dish TV DTH services.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
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Formulating the Research Problem

Choice of Research Design Determining Sources of Data Designing Data Collection Forms Determining Sampling Design & Sampling Size Organizing & Conducting the Field Survey Analyzing the Collected Data

Research Methodology:
Research methodology is a systematic way to solve the research problem, which is a science of study how research is done scientifically. The Research methodology encompasses the research methods or techniques.

Step 1: Formulating the Research Problem :-) This is the most important stage in applied research, as poorly defined problems will not yield useful results. It is rightly said that A problem well defined is half solved. Here the problem is related with the study of methodology to improve awareness and visibility level among dealers of DTH PRODUCTS.

Step 2: Choice of Research Design :-) After formulating the problem, the choice of research design is made. A Research Design specifies the methods & procedures for conducting a particular study. It can be grouped into 3 categories :-)
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 Exploratory Research Descriptive Research Causal Research

Exploratory research :-) An Exploratory research focuses on the discovery of ideas & is generally based on secondary data. Descriptive research :-) A Descriptive research study is undertaken when the researcher wants to know the characteristics of a certain group & these studies are well-structured. Causal research :-) A Causal research is undertaken when the researcher is interested in knowing the cause & effect relationship between two or more variables. This study is combination of Exploratory & Descriptive research design because the objective was to know the present position of various DTH service providers as well as the future prospects of DTH service providers. This analysis is based on primary and secondary data as well as theoretical base of customer behaviour.

Step 3: Determining sources of data :-) Any researcher has to decide whether he has to collect primary data or secondary data

Primary Data is the data which is collected at the first hand through observation, survey, customer data, interview method & one of the popular method for collecting data is also Questionnaire. Secondary Data is the data which have been gathered earlier for some other purpose. It can be done through Internet. The researcher has primarily looked for the first hand information i.e. Primary Data. The text on marketing as well as customer behaviour, the determinants of customer perception is the secondary data which researcher has utilized to analyse the problem.

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Step 4: Designing Data Collection Forms :-) Once the decision is taken in favour of collection of data, one has to decide the mode of collection which are observational & survey method.

Observation method :-) This method suggests that the data are collected through ones observation. If the researcher is a keen researcher, with integrity he would be in a position to observe & record data faithfully & accurately. Survey method :-) these are mainly used to collect primary data from the respondents. It can be done through i) personal interview, ii) telephonic and iii) mail. Mainly personal interview are suitable when detailed information is to be collected. The researcher has collected data with the help of a structured questionnaire having a no. of questions in objective form were put forth to the customer to evaluate his present awareness level for various DTH services and offers available in the market & to analyse his attitude for acceptance to DTH products DISH TV. Step 5: Determining Sampling Design & Sampling Size :-) A Sampling Design is a definite plan for obtaining a sample from a given population. It refers to the technique or the procedure, the researcher would adopt in selecting items for the sample. Methods of Sampling Design :-) Census Method Sampling Method

Census Method :-) A complete enumeration of all the items in the population is known as Census Inquiry. But in practical life, it is not possible. Sampling Method :-) When the field studies are undertaken in practical life, consideration of time & cost almost invariably lead to a almost invariably lead to a selection of respondents i.e. selection of only few items. For the sake of project under study a group of 100 dealers who are associated with the DTH industry in the market is short listed.

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As far as area of the sample is concerned, it is CHANDIGARH, MOHALI and PANCHKULA. The specified area is intentionally earmarked because of higher rate of literate persons in the area & maximum dealers of DTH .

Step 6: Organizing & Conducting the field survey

:-) The next step is to organize & conduct

the field survey. The task of interviewing seems to be simple in reality. It is one of the most difficult task because respondents are generally hesitant in giving information unless approached with tact, initiative & intelligence.

Step 7: Analyzing the Collected Data :-) The data collected was used to develop an idea regarding specific information that is required to carry out the actual work & the data is analysed through various techniques like tables, pie-charts and bar-graphs.

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INDIVIDUAL DEALER INFORMATION CHART

1. Details of the dealer: Name :Contact no: Dealer-id:Address:..
2. Since how long you have been selling DTH products(3months/6months/1year/more)

3. Are you aware of the DTH players available? 4. Awareness about the features : a) No. of channels b) Language pick 5. What is the customer preference? c) MOD d)Regional pick e) No. of games f) EPG

Dish tv Tata sky... Any other

6. Do you find it easy to convince the customers to subscribe to DTH? 7. How do you go about explaining the benefits of a DTH connection ? Features. Price. Offer Services.. Others.. 8. How often you receive complaints regarding picture quality or other signal problems by the viewers? 9. Are you satisfied with the offerings provided by the company? For dealers. For customers. 10. On your part which one is better Dish tv or Tata sky? And why?................................... 11. How much business ( activation) you bring to the company in a month? Dish tv.. Tata sky. Other

12. How often company Managers visit you? Visit. Signag e e Call Flang Insho p Poster s Banne r Leaflet s Shelfstrips Dispen sers Dangl Ers Buntings

BL Dd dish tv Tat T-sky

NL

BL

NL

Signature:

Date:
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Q.1 Since how long you have been selling DTH products ? OPTION NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS 3 MONTHS 6 MONTHS 1 YEAR > 1 YEAR 9 17 23 27 %AGE OF RESPONDENTS 12% 22% 30% 36%

INTERPRETATION :-) Majority of the respondents i.e. 36% are selling DTH products since more than 1 year while 30% of respondents are selling since 1 year. On an average 22% of sellers are working since 6 months followed by 3 months i.e. 12%.

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Q.2 Are you aware about the industry?

OPTION YES NO

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS 67 9

%AGE OF RESPONDENTS 88% 12%

INTERPRETATION :-) Majority of the respondents are aware about the DTH industry and not only about the existing players DISH TV and TATASKY but also about the major players like RELIANCE,VIDEOCON AND AIRTEL which are shortly coming into the market. But others those who are not aware are selling DTH products as their secondary business and they spend most of the time in main business they are into.

Q.3 Are you aware about the features? OPTION YES NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS 59
40

%AGE OF RESPONDENTS 78%

NO

17

22%

INTERPRETATION :-) Majority of the respondents are aware about the various features like regional pick , language pick, MOD-movie on demand, EPG-electronic program guide etc.Lack of awareness among few is because of their involvement in primary business and DTH being their secondary business.

Q.4 Is it easy to convince customers to subscribe to DTH connection?

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OPTION EASY NOT EASY

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS %AGE OF RESPONDENTS 68 8 89% 11%

INTERPRETATION :-) 89% of the respondents find it easy to convince people to subscribe to DTH against the cable tv connection as DTH has many VALUE added advantages over cable in terms of QUALITY PRODUCT,services,features ETC no. of channels .

Q.5 What are the basis of convincing customers ?

OPTION

FEATURES

SERVICES
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PRICE

OFFER

YES NO

45% 55%

47% 53%

33% 67%

43% 57%

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INTERPRETATION :-) :-) Major reason due to which customers subscribe to DTH is services, this clearly shows that today the customer is quality oriented and service conscious and it is after quality that he considers the various features, offers provided to them. Price is the last consideration of customers. There are others who consider advertisement, sound clarity, personal relations and customers own awareness as few other bases helpful in convincing customers.

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Q6. How often you receive complaints regarding picture quality or other signal problems by the viewers?

OPTION

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%AGE OF RESPONDENTS

VERY OFTEN NO

26 50

34% 66%

INTERPRETATION :-) There are very few complaints against DTH services and these were regarding signal problems during bad weather and installation problem. Majority of the dealers do not have any complaints from their customers.

Q7 What is the customer preference?

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OPTION DISH TV TATA SKY NUETRAL

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS 30 27 19

%AGE OF RESPONDENTS 39% 36% 25%

INTERPRETATION

:-)

DISH

TV

has

greater

preference

OVER

TATASKY

Product,Prices,services last but not least the Value added services like MOD product which offers many value added services to its customers like GAMING,NEWS ACTIVE,ASTRO ACTIVE,EPG,SPORTS ACTIVE etc.

Q.8 On your part which one is better Dish tv or Tata sky?

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OPTION

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%AGE OF RESPONDENTS

DISH TV TATA SKY BOTH

34 31 11

45% 41% 14%

34 33.5 33 32.5 32 31.5 31 30.5 30 29.5 D EALER PR R E EF ENC D H TV IS TATA S Y K

INTERPRETATION :-) DISH TV has greater preference than TATA SKY because of higher penetration level of dish tv to the market and spends on marketing activities for awareness of the consumer,Dealers interest is in payouts paid to them by the companies,where dish tv has a distinction in terms of margins and transperacny of business terms.

Q.9 Are you satisfied with the offerings provided by the company?

OPTION

NUMBER OF
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%AGE OF RESPONDENTS

RESPONDENTS SATISFIED NOT-SATISFIED 57 19 75% 25%

INTERPRETATION :-)

Almost majority of the dealers are satisfied by the offerings provided by

the company. Others who are not satisfied are those whose demo connections were disconnected as these dealers were not providing adequate business.

Q.10 Are your customers satisfied with the offerings provided by the company?

OPTION

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%AGE OF RESPONDENTS

SATISFIED NOT-SATISFIED

63 13

83% 17%

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INTERPRETATION :-) Almost majority of the customers are satisfied by the services of the company but few of them had problems regarding installation delays and service delays, these delays were because of the geographical distance between the service center and the customer secondly the curiosity level of customer denies to understand TAT (Turn Around Time).

VISIBILITY SURVEY

MATERIAL
SIGNAGE B/L SIGNAGE N/L FLANGE B/L FLANGE N/L INSHOP POSTERS BANNERS LEAFLETS SHELFSTRIPS DISPENSERS

TATASKY
24 2 9 3 4 30 19 51 13 26
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DISHTV
39 2 24 5 14 44 29 68 39 33

DANGLERS BUNTINGS

25 25

36 38

45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

44 39 30 24 24 TATAS Y K 14 9 2 2 3 5 4 D H IS TV

S IGNAGE S IGNAGE F LANGE F LANGE INS OP POS S H TER B /L N/L B /L N/L

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 B ANNE S R 19 29 51

68

39 26 13

33 25

36 25

38

T AS Y AT K D HV IS T

LE LE S AF T

S E S R S D PE E S D H LF T IP IS NS R ANG R LE S

B NT S U ING

INTERPRETATION :- From the above data it is clear that the visibility of DISH-TV is much better as compared to TATA-SKY. It was also seen during the survey that the amount of money spent on marketing by DISHTV is much more as compared to TATA-SKY. And it was quite easy to find out the outlets of DISHTV in the market.
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FINDINGS
1. Majority of the dealers are selling DTH products from more than one year. 2. Majority of the dealers were aware about the industry. Reason being -> Highly literate population. Peoples growing interest to know about the field they are working into. 3. Majority of the dealers were aware about the features of the DTH besides EPG ELECTRONIC PROGRAM GUIDE.
4. 89% of the respondents find it easy to convince people to subscribe to DTH against the

cable TV connection as DTH has many added advantages over cable in terms of offers,services,features, gaming, no. of channels etc. . 5. Most of the customers are influenced by the friends to subscribe to DTH.
6. Most of the customers today are quality oriented and service conscious and this being the

basic reason why they switch over from cable tv to DTH. 7. Customers are ready to pay higher price in turn of better picture quality and sound.
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8. Customers of DTH are mostly satisfied by the services provided by the company as the complaint rate of the viewers is found on the lower side. 9. Dealers had some installation complaints due to lag time between subscription and the installation. 10. Majority of the dealers are satisfied by the offerings provided to them by the company. Others who are not satisfied are those whose demo connections were disconnected as they were not performing up to the mark. 11.Visibility of DISH TV was found to be much better than TATASKY. Marketing material like glow sign board, posters, banners, inshop material, dispensers etc of DISH TV was available almost at each outlet. This depicts that DISH TV has a higher level of market penetration.

RECOMMENDATIONS
The company should introduce telecom companies.
The company should introduce a procedure through which they can interact directly with

service camps for its customers like automobile and

the point of sale in major town like Chandigarh to bye pass dealer preference. The company should try to reach those customers who are not satisfied with its present services. The companys customer care executive should call the customers at least once in three months. The company should have a sound network of complaint follow-up staff. Conduct surveys to collect segregated data about the opinion of users regarding various products available in the market.

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LIMITATIONS OF STUDY
Every research is conducted under some boundaries. So, there was some limitations also related to the survey and it was difficult to ignore them. Therefore, it was necessary to mention them in a separate chapter of my report. The limitations of my survey are mentioned as below:

TIME CONSTRAINT :-) One of the major limitations faced in the study is time constraint,
because Time span is too short to carry out fieldwork & cover-up whole region.

MONEY CONSTRAINT :-) Being a student, it was not possible for me to cover whole of
the Chandigarh, as it would have been very expensive for me. As the study was of limited area i.e. Chandigarh, Panchkula, Mohali so it cannot be used to interpret the results for the entire nation.

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 Problems were also faced as many of the dealers were not interactive as they were
engaged in attending their customers. Thus it was difficult to get the response of these persons.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Philip Kotler,Kevin Lane Keller, Marketing Management ,Prentice Hall of India Private Limited ,New Delhi 2. C.R.Kothari,Research Methodology Methods and Techniques,New Age

International Private Limited,New Delhi. 3. George E Belch, Michael E Belch, advertising and promotion;an integrated marketing communication perspective,Tata McGraw Hill, publishing company

limited,New Delhi.
4. www.dishtv.in 54

5. www.tatasky.com

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