Airtel digital TV partners Shemaroo for interactive services

PTI, New Delhi, Apr 7: DTH major Airtel digital TV today announced its partnership with content distribution firm Shemaroo to launch its new interactive service ''iDarshan''.
iDarshan would enable customers to view Live Aarti from the four shrines -- Tirupati, Vaishno Devi, Golden Temple and Shirdi.
"Through an internal study, we found that Astrology, Bollywood, Cricket and Divine were categories that were quite sought after. In line with this, we have launched this new interactive service iDarshan," Bharti Airtel Chief Marketing Officer (Airtel digital TV) Sugato Banerji told reporters here.
The company expects almost 10 per cent of its 5.1 million customerbase to subscribe to this service, which will be available for Rs 15 per month, he added.
Apart from Live Aartis every morning and evening, the interactive channel would also show devotional movies and songs, debates, discussions, pravachans, satsangs, discourses, travel episodes from shrines across the country and pilgrimage information.
Airtel Digital TV has also launched another interactive channel -- iGoodlife.
"With this, we now have five interactive applications as part of our interactive services portfolio," Banerji said.
The channel is aimed at the homemakers and has content centred around four categories -- cooking, health, lifestyle and family. It will be powered by NDTV GoodTimes and will be available for Rs 10 per month.
Airtel digital TV''s other interactive applications are iLearn, iNews and iAstro.