RETV plans intl foray, to enter tier II cities in six months

MUMBAI: Bangalore-based Real Estate Television (RETV) is planning to expand its footprint into south-east Asia, the Middle-East and parts of Europe, a top company official said.

"There is a lot of interest for our type of programming in Malaysia, Singapore, the Middle-East and Europe. We plan to foray into these markets next year," RETV Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Prem Menon said here.

"We plan to enter through existing operators there and will forge tie-ups with them," Menon said. The company, which has already invested Rs 100 crore into its operations so far, would invest another Rs 50 crore going forward and hopes to break-even by FY 11.

"We have made most of the investments in terms of studios and equipment. Being a niche player focussing exclusively on the real estate segment, we don't need to make further significant investments," he said.

RETV channel, launched nine months ago, features programmes on real estate and real estate infrastructure, and has a wide array of programmes on vaastu, feng shui, interviews with architects and interior designers among others.
"We have news-on-the hour which provides news on the segment," Menon said.

A 24-hour English channel catering to the A-plus and A segments of the population, RETV is present in Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and a few other major metros.