(23 July 2008 7:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Zee News Ltd (ZNL) has an investment plan of Rs 2 billion even as it plans to add more channels including a Telugu news channel.

The company will fund the expansion through a mix of internal accruals and borrowing. ZNL has no equity raising or dilution plan.

The Tamil general entertainment channel will launch in August-September with an investment plan of Rs 900 million. Zee has already started buying Tamil movies.

ZNL is working on the plan to launch an English business news channel. The company is also in the process of firming up plans to launch a global English news channel by FY'10.

ZNL is launching its first franchisee channel in Chattisgarh with SB Multimedia, a local business house belonging to the Goel Group, in September. With this, ZNL will be foraying into consulting business through its division News Consultancy Services Division (NCSD) wherein it will also have its channel logo on the news network.

Zee NCSD will provide operational and strategic advice on a Build, Operate and Transfer basis to entrepreneurs desirous of launching news channels in markets which do not figure in Zee's immediate expansion plans.