Upcoming elections drive mobile DTH sales of Dish TV

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The pressing need for politicians to stay connected and updated through satellite television — even while on the move — is driving the sales of Dish TV's mobile DTH units, specially in states like Delhi, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh that go in for Assembly elections shortly.

There are five private direct-to-home (DTH) operators in the market so far but only Dish TV provides a mobile DTH unit that costs about Rs 1.45 lakh per unit. This can be fitted on a car, bus or any sports utility vehicle (SUV).

A mobile DTH unit comes in with a special built-in roving antenna that can receive DTH signals even when the vehicle is on the move. It has to be fitted on the rooftop of cars or buses as it weighs about 3-4 kilograms. Therefore, only large cars like the SUVs qualify for these mobile DTH units.

So far, political personalities like LK Advani, Lalu Prasad, Vasundhara Raje, among several others, have got Dish TV units installed in their vehicles in which they travel within their states or constituencies, say executives from Dish TV.

Dish TV is the country's largest DTH operator and recently crossed the 4.5 million-subscriber mark and sees the mobile Dish TV units as an extension of its mission —"Dish TV everywhere". Already, the mobile Dish TV units are fitted on board 15 aircrafts of Kingfisher and on the special trains of high-ranking railway officials. It is also fitted on some cruise ships, Dish TV executives say.

According to Salil Kapoor, COO, Dish TV, the demand for mobile Dish TV units has gone up by as much as 35-40 per cent within this month compared to the previous month. "The demand and enquires for our mobile DTH units have been overwhelming from states like Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, among others. We are pushing our mobile DTH units very aggressively and planning ahead considering the forthcoming general elections next year," says Kapoor.

The company is believed to have sold over 200-300 mobile Dish TV units to its buyers including political leaders, party workers and seasoned political king-makers recently. Dish TV is in talks with large auto makers like General Motors and Ford to provide its customers mobile Dish TV units as accessories.

There have been numerous individual enquiries as well, says Kapoor. "Mobile DTH service is for all those who need to stay connected with the world. They could be people with interest in the stock markets, sports, politicians, celebrities and business persons. We can say that most of these consumer categories have subscribed to our mobile DTH units," Kapoor says.