Sony Entertainment Television India (SET India) and Discovery Communications India (DCI) today announced the formation of their joint venture company - SET Discovery Pvt Ltd.

And in a clear indication that Sony was on the lookout to add more channels to the "One Alliance" platform, the official release says SET "would continue to seek opportunities with other channels."

As a continuance of the close involvement of its parent company in SET India, the JV includes two representatives from Columbia TriStar International Television - Martha Eberts and Michael March (both are also directors in SET India). The other two members of the SET Discovery management team are Kunal Dasgupta (who will be leading the company) and DCI CEO Deepak Shourie.

Shantonu Aditya, currently SET India's head of the distribution business, will oversee day-to-day operations of the new company which will handle the distribution of both channels and will include ground cable and affiliate businesses.

Announcing the newly formed venture, Aditya said: "With Discovery joining our existing bouquet of channels, The One Alliance partnership, announced earlier this year, is uniquely placed to offer our viewers an enhanced genre of programming supported by our combined distribution strength. We are now strategically positioned to be the No. 1 television network in the country."

SET India holds 74 per cent of SET Discovery's equity with the remainder being with DCI. Today's announcement comes a little over a month after the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) cleared the JV proposal.

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