Direct-to-Home (DTH) services may not be a popular TV viewing option just yet, but Subhash Chandra's DishTV, a DTH services provider, is looking at creating new market segments and is in talks with auto majors for providing its services in high-end SUVs.

The Essel Group-promoted DishTV, which has plans to invest Rs 800 crore in the next three years for new service launches and infrastructure expansion, is expecting to come with DTH -- Dish TV -- in SUVs and high-end cars in the next three months, Essel Group Additional Vice President and DishTV Managing Director Jawahar Goel said.

"The service will cost Rs 15,000 and people will be able to watch selected channels of DishTV in their vehicles," he said.

However, he did not specify the names of the SUV makers with whom the company is in talks with.

Honda's CRV, Ford's Endeavour, Mitsubishi's Montero and Toyota's Prado are some of the high-end SUVs present in India.

DishTV is already available in eight aircraft of Kingfisher Airlines.

"By the end of this year, DishTV would be available in all the fleet of Kingfisher Airlines," Goel said.

Besides, the company recently had launched a new version of set-top-box (STB) aimed at students and small corporate houses. These STBs is enables users to watch live TV on personal computers.

The box comes at a price of Rs 4,150, Rs 1,000 higher than the normal STB used with television sets.

"We have received a good response from customers for the new STB and expect its demand to grow very quickly," Goel said.
DishTV has 2.25 million subscribers and is targeting a user base of 16-17 million by 2015, Goel said.

He said the company would also increase the number of channels on DishTV's platform to 200 by the end of this month and 400 by mid next year. DishTV has 175 channels now.

The company, which got listed on the stock exchanges in April, posted a net loss of Rs 251 crore for the financial year ended March 31. In the first quarter, it posted a decline in net loss at Rs 89.7 crore against Rs 100 crore in the corresponding quarter previous year.

"We expect to break even in the last quarter of 2009," Goel added.