German News Broadcasters Deutsche Welle Plans Strategic Expansion In India

German state-owned public broadcasters Deutsche Welle (DW) said that it is significantly expanding its presence in India and exploring tie-ups with private and state-run broadcasters in the country.

“This week Director General Peter Limbourg is traveling to New Delhi and Mumbai to negotiate and sign agreements with private and state-run broadcasters. DW also plans to open a new bureau in New Delhi shortly,” the broadcaster said in a statement.

It added that a permanent presence in India, in addition to a network of freelance correspondents, will enable DW to get closer to Indian audience and make its reporting substantive and relevant.

DW Directore General Peter Limbourg said, “DW currently has 31 million weekly user contacts in all of Asia but we see a far greater potential for the continent, especially for India. We offer content in eight Asian languages, and of course Hindi is one of them. In order to reach more users here, we must make sure to provide content which is really relevant to them.”

“With nearly 900 TV channels, hundreds of 24-hour news channels in several languages and digital media growing at an amazing speed every year, India offers vast opportunities and challenges for journalism,” he stated adding that there is demand for high-quality infotainment content.

The German broadcaster will also strengthen focus on co-productions with Indian media organisations. It has already been co-produced TV programmes such as Eco India and Manthan with local partners.―The Hindu Business Line