Al Jazeera English has been launched across India on the country’s number one DTH platform.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh welcomed the channel in a meeting with managing director Al Anstey and India bureau chief Anmol Saxena. “Al Jazeera is gaining quite a reputation worldwide. I wish them success for their launch in India,” he said.

The channel announced the launch on Dish TV enabling Al Jazeera English to reach 11.7 million households across India and making it available to over 48 million individuals.

“India is an emerging leader in today's globalised world, and a critical country for Al Jazeera English to broadcast across. We are confident that our coverage will be of enormous interest and value to audiences across India,” Anstey said.

Jawahar Goel, managing director, Dish TV, said: “Al Jazeera's launch on our platform will keep our family of 11.7 million subscribers connected and updated with latest in current affairs, issues and happenings across the globe. Dish TV has been a trend setter in offering its viewers the best content, service and quality and we will continue to bring the best of the content for our valued subscribers”.

Al Jazeera English is an international news channel, holding over 70 bureaus around the world which span six different continents, a statement from the company said.

Since its establishment in 2006, it has continued to grow in reach and popularity due to its global coverage, especially from underreported regions. The channel currently broadcasts to over 250 million households across 130 countries, a number that is expected to grow as the channel expands throughout India.

The international news provider has operated a bureau in New Delhi, the statement said.

The DTH market has been one of significance with broadcasters. According to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the first three months of 2011 saw a climb in the number of DTH subscribers in India registered with private service providers by 3.51 million to 35.56 million, making it a promising platform for international news broadcasters. – TradeArabia News Service