Zee to launch business channel on November 30

net1

After kids and lifestyle programming, Indian broadcasting industry is heading towards a new battle in the business news segment.

Zee, which operates a 24-hour Hindi news channel Zee News, has announced its plans of launching a Hindi business channel on November 30. "The channel, Zee Business, will be positioned as a personal finance channel. It will offer business news in a clutter-free style and in an easy-to-understand language. Zee Business will be highly aggressive on the stock markets, commodity markets and in reporting business news. There are also programs for setting up small businesses and on cutting edge technologies. Then there are news bulletins on sports, foreign affairs and the top news of the day," says a company statement.

The new channel will be owned and managed by a new company, Zee News Limited. Television Eighteen (TV18), which is a joint partner in CNBC TV18, is expected to launch its new Hindi business channel in December.

Other new players will be New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV), which is planning to launch its channel in 2005. The broadcaster currently operates two news channels (NDTV India in Hindi) and (NDTV 24x7 in English).