With the addition of 2 lakh subscribers every month, private direct-to-home (DTH) service operators Dish TV and Tata Sky may cross Rs 650 crore (Rs 6.5 billion) in revenues for financial year 2007-08, a three-fold increase from 2006-07. The revenues of private DTH operators may cross the Rs 1,000-crore (Rs 10 billion) mark in 2008-09 with a total subscriber-base of 8 million. Private DTH operators have to pay 10% of their revenues as the licence fees to operate the services.
WorldSpace was first launched in Bangalore and therefore, is headquartered in New Delhi. Hence, the awareness levels and adoption is highest in this market and other southern markets. Metro markets like Delhi and Mumbai have also shown a high level of traction. Going forward, eastern and central India presents an opportunity for WorldSpace. WorldSpace does not manufacture its own radio sets. They are manufactured by contract manufacturers.
With carriers such as Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines all set to battle it out on international routes, leading expatriates with years of experience in global airlines are now being wooed for top management posts.
The central government is likely to announce a restructuring-cum-revival package for Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL), the largest public sector shipyard, at a cost of around Rs 830 crore (Rs 8.3 billion) in the coming Budget.
Regional airlines that have received approval include MDLR, Jagson Airlines, Star Aviation and Zav Air. Others like Mega Airways and Premier Airlines are still awaiting approval.
With SpiceJet and Simplifly Deccan all set to give away similar throw-away offers and GoAir looking for similar tie-ups with travel portals, air travellers can expect around 25,000 such cheap-fare tickets on offer up to April 15.
For the first four days of its running, Jodhaa Akbar -- a UTV Motion Picture release -- has collected Rs 38.53 crore from the box office (domestic and international), a close second to last year's Shah Rukh Khan starrer Om Shanti Om -- that grossed about Rs 42 crore for the entire week. And there is three days of collections to be added.
At this price, the ticket would be about 65 per cent cheaper than other return fares.
Mumbai rail service may get a facelift as the Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav announces the Phase II of developmental plans this Budget.
A DVR is a device that allows consumers to pause, record, play back, rewind and fast forward their favourite television shows. DTH companies are expected to slash DVRs box prices by nearly half to Rs 7,000-Rs 8,000 per unit. DVRs for cable channels would soon be available for between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000, industry sources said.
News channels may now be able to telecast footage of international cricket matches for longer durations, following the Delhi High Court's dismissal of a petition by sports broadcaster ESPN Star Sports in this matter.
The high tax regime makes aircraft service above 50 per cent more expensive than international rates and might spell trouble for over a dozen MRO projects -- several of them involving foreign direct investment that have been announced so far.
Railway Minister Lalu Prasad is expected to announce a slew of initiatives for select Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains in the coming rail budget, including access to on-board free Internet and Direct-to-Home (DTH) services.
On long-haul routes to Bangalore and Hyderabad, new airports being built under public-private partnerships, the increase could be roughly Rs 1,000. In Delhi and Mumbai, which are being modernised under PPPs, the increase could be a smaller Rs 300 on similar routes because these airports do not charge development fees.
Dish TV and Tata Sky, the two major DTH companies, have sought compensation from the government for the upgrade of the existing DTH set-top boxes due to the mandatory upgrade proposed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
The government recently allowed the foreign carriers to have a 74 per cent stake in Indian cargo carriers. A total of 49 per cent FDI was earlier allowed in the cargo sector, but no investment by a foreign airline was permitted.
At present, the FDI limit for FM radio companies is 20 per cent. A senior Trai official has indicated that it could recommend an increase between 26 and 74 per cent.
Delhi HC has stayed CLB order against Essel group's bid on UNI. The tranfer of shares too has been termed null and void.
Bogged down by regulatory issues and lack of earning opportunities in smaller towns, the 30-odd private FM radio companies may not participate in the third-phase expansion of private FM radio mooted by the government. In the third phase, government will issue licences for 680 FM radio stations across 237 cities in the country, mostly very small towns like Achalpur, Bettiah and Churu.
Hopper, short-haul flights lift performance.
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