Dubai Investment Group acquires 40pc stake in India's Time Broadband Services

Having extensive technical and managerial experience in the telecom sector through its investments in Maltacom and Tunisie Telecom, DIG is well positioned to leverage its expertise and support TBSL in its objective to become a prominent IPTV player.

The timely investment by Dubai Investment Group comes just before TBSL's planned launch of its services in India and brings the Dubai firm's resources to bear, including its professional management and global relationship base. In line with its focus on emerging markets, DIG is expected to leverage IPTV-related business opportunities in India and beyond.

Abdulhakeem Kamkar, CEO of DIG, said: "We found an ideal partnership in TBSL which has a team of competent professionals having an in-depth knowledge of their specialized technology.

"India is one of our key markets. We are impressed by the initiatives of the state owned telecom firms, where they are heavily investing in the latest technology to upgrade their telecom networks to gear up for broadband play. We believe that through TBSL, we will be able to add value to the growing telecom sector in India."

IPTV is the future for broadband content across multiple platforms and has the potential to globally change the way people watch cable television. Our intention is not only to make this a success in India, but to help the company take this value proposition globally. In addition, we see synergies in future projects with TBSL," explained Kamkar.

TBSL is geared to meet the requirements of the Indian IPTV industry following its two-year market research. In its native market, TBSL plans to introduce a bouquet of services including satellite channels, new film releases, interactive TV and on-demand services for true broadband interactive experience at extremely competitive rates.

To compete successfully, telecom operators entering the convergent market must offer DVD-quality video, using minimal bandwidth. And, as the 'anytime, any device, any content' trend continues to grow, compelling content has to be a part of the IPTV service bouquet.

Sujata Dev, Managing Director of TBSL, said: "If technology is the enabler, content is the driver. The success of IPTV depends on the right combination of these two elements. With the expertise and support of DIG as a strategic partner, we commit ourselves to offer a true IPTV experience and possibly to a global audience in the near future."