Hon’ble Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Shri Arun Jaitley, launched the Hinduja Ventures’ Headend-In-The-Sky (HITS) digital platform initiative on 16th Sep. through its wholly owned subsidiary, Grant Investrade Limited, under the brand name NXT DIGITAL, from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) Office in New Delhi. Mr. AshokHinduja, Chairman, Hinduja Ventures, a Hinduja Group enterprise along with other senior dignitaries and officials of the MIB were present on the occasion.
Inaugurating the NXT DIGITAL HITS platform from Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Honourable Union Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley said, “Multiple carriage technologies will provide customers more choice as to which technology platform to choose.”
Later, addressing a media gathering, Mr Hinduja said, “NXT DIGITAL is a deep emotional commitment of the Hinduja Ventures to our Nation’s digitalization mission & Make In India initiative. With the launch of the service, we are delighted to have partnered the government’s laudable mission to bring in complete digitalization for social development and national growth.”
Mr.Hinduja praised the “thousands of entrepreneurial cable operators who have literally built this industry by laying the copper across the country with their own hands over the last 30 years, without any institutional support and bank finance”.
“The Hinduja Group is both, proud and humbled to be able to contribute to the government’s laudable Make In India mission. Allthe application development for the NXT DIGITAL platform has been designed and built 100% in India. This cutting-edge technology and software will allow cable networks and subscribers alike; to harness the power of global innovative solutions right here in India,” Mr.Hinduja said.“We are confident that what we have launched today will facilitate the Government’s Digital India Initiative along with contributing towards Make In India mission. It would enable thousands of entrepreneurial cable operators to make a transition from analog to digital across an estimated 120 million homes in India.”
NXT DIGITAL has also designed the COPE (Cable Operator Premise Equipment) systems to cater specifically to Indian conditions. These COPE systems have been completely assembled in India with a fair amount of Indian components included in the build. As part of our own drive to support the “Make in India” initiative, NXT DIGITAL continues to invest in the further “indigenisation” of these systems.
Mr.Hinduja added, “The Hinduja Group has always strived to be ahead of the curve of skill development in India in every sector it has a presence. As a response to the nations’ Skill India Initiative, NXT DIGITAL has tied up with training institutes to train and equip youth in smaller towns and markets in India with the necessary skills required for supporting a digital India – from supporting the transition of analogue television networks to digital – to data management and support – to providing a pan-India network of trained service technicians.”
The HITS project is an ambitious initiative to not only facilitate over 100 million homes go digital in Phase III & IV markets; but to also raise the standards of quality of service. The total project outlay is envisaged at over Rs. 5,000 crores as the business continues to design and develop new products and services for a growing customer base as well as strive to enhance its own standards – to ensure viewers are always ahead.
Tony D’Silva, MD of Grant Investrade Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hinduja Ventures Limited and who is leading the NXT DIGITAL HITS platform project, said “With its national footprint, NXT DIGITAL Platform, which has been designed on the basis of exhaustive feedback from the cable fraternity is structured to benefit all stakeholders- the operators, customers and the Government. Not only does it help cable operators and MSOs take their businesses to the next level but also diligently ensures compliance with the guidelines of the various regulatory bodies. Through them it seeks to empower the end consumer as he has access to a new digital television experience in phase 3 and phase 4 markets”.
He further added, “After the advent of DTH, the NXT DIGITAL HITS Broadcast Centre has put India on the global map. It is a state-of-the-art facility that has been designed and purpose-built to provide a variety of services including over 500 TV channels and services in top class MPEG-4 Digital quality to LMOs (Last Mile Owners) and MSOs (Multi System Operators)”.
“NXT DIGITAL has focused its marketing and subscription drive in these markets, and in just about two months since the brand was announced, it has travelled across 400 districts in 20 states to contact and inform the cable fraternity there about its offerings,” added Tony D’Silva.
