Indias pay TV market growth outpaces Chinas

India's growth in the number of pay TV subscribers is outpacing China's, says business intelligence consultancy Fusion Consulting in a new report on the Indian cable and satellite TV market. Operators, programmers and distributors are attracted to the industry, despite chaotic infrastructure and confusing regulations. Market growth in India is expected consistently to outpace that in China over the next five years.

Singapore, 3rd March 2003 -- Growth in the number of pay TV subscribers in India is outpacing that of China, and attracting operators, programmers and distributors to the industry, despite chaotic infrastructure and confusing regulations, says business intelligence consultancy Fusion Consulting in a new report on the Indian cable and satellite TV market.

Spurred on by the approval of the Cable Television Networks (CTN) Amendment bill in the Indian Upper House of Parliament in December 2002, pay TV operators have been consolidating, more international channels are entering the country, conditional access and encryption are the buzz-words for incumbents, and analysts are enraptured by the future possibilities that the market holds.

The Indian market is already number two in the region, second only to China.

Fusion Consulting, a business intelligence consultancy based in Singapore and Hong Kong, says India will have 46 million subscriber households by the end of 2003. That equates to almost half the number of subscriber households in China.

There are anywhere between 20,000 and 60,000 'cablewallahs in the country, ranging from MSOs with millions of subscribers, to small scale operaters who wire up just a few dozen households.

It is the combination of rapid growth, accessibility and improved regulations that gets international programmers excited about India," says Peter Read, head of the Media & Leisure industry practice at Fusion Consulting in Singapore.

Subscriber growth is forecast at 9.1% for 2003, more than double the 3.8% expected in China, and market growth in India is expected consistently to outpace that in China over the next five years.

Growing at a compound annual growth rate of 8%, Indias pay TV subscriber households are expected to increase in number 1.5 times by 2007, up from 40 million in 2002. By 2007, India will have 61 million pay TV subscriber households, second to Chinas 113 million.

International programmers have been allowed to sell content in India for some time, but under-reporting of subscriber numbers has been a recurrent problem, leading to lower revenues than programmers felt they were entitled to. Under the new legislation, the industry hopes subscriber numbers will be more accurately reported.

---
About Fusion Consulting

Fusion Consulting is a business intelligence consultancy providing clear strategic advice on Asia-Pacific markets. With offices in Singapore and Hong Kong and a network of 200 consultants in 14 countries, the company conducts custom research and consulting to help companies understand their markets, compete more effectively and grow into new areas of opportunity.

Further information:
media@fusionc.com
www.fusionc.com