MUMBAI: Swedish carmaker Volvo has signed a three-year agreement with Professional Golf Tour of India as the official automobile partner beginning 2012 and running through to 2014.

The strategic partnership will also mark the India debut of Volvo?s flagship event ?Volvo World Golf Challenge?. The announcement was made jointly by PGTI director Padamjit Sandhu and Volvo Auto India MD Tomas Ernberg.

As part of this joint endeavour, Volvo will be the Official Automobile Partner for all PGTI-sanctioned professional events in India this year. Each of Volvo?s seven dealerships will host a golf tournament this year, which will be supervised by PGTI.

The best-placed finishers at each event will qualify for the national final in New Delhi later this year, at which the two leading golfers will win an invitation to compete in the World Final next January.

?Golf is a sport that resonates with Volvo?s core values of quality, integrity and fair play. We have nurtured a long and cherished commitment to premier golf tournaments. With ?Volvo World Golf Challenge? we aim to make India an integral part of a truly multinational tournament that begins at home and ends in a celebration of golf at the annual World Final," Ernberg said.

?We are happy to be associated with PGTI in our joint endeavour of promoting professional golf in India, while engaging with relevant stakeholders across levels,? he added.

Announcing the partnership, PGTI Director Padamjit Singh Sandhu said, ?The partnership with Volvo provides us a great opportunity to leverage professional golf in India. Volvo has been supporting and promoting golf across the world, and our association with Volvo in India will help us leverage more opportunities for all invested stakeholders.?

The Volvo World Golf Challenge is a golf tournament for customers and prospective clients with participation of more than 50,000 club golfers from over 25 countries.

MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (Zeel) is gearing up to launch a golf dedicated channel next month and has signed a three-year exclusive partnership deal with Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India.

Ten Golf will become India?s first exclusive golf channel. The deal provides Ten Golf with the broadcasting rights for all PGTI-sanctioned tournaments within and outside the country from 2012 - 2014.

Announcing the partnership, PGTI Director Padamjit Sandhu said, "Professional golf in India has had strong positive growth over the last five years under PGTI. We are today at a stage where it is important for us to showcase the depth of Indian talent and their achievements with the support of a professional electronic medium. To further grow golf, and project the opportunities and the potential the sport has, it is important to have a strong broadcast partner. With Ten Golf we see strong synergies, and are confident that their expertise, knowledge and bandwidth will substantially help take Indian golf to the next level."

Taj Television India CEO Atul Pande said, "Our sports broadcast strategy of building committed viewers, in specific sports, has led to the idea of the golf channel - Ten Golf. Our tie up with PGTI will help in strengthing the Indian Tour. We will be working closely with Asian Tour and European Tour to bring world class golf action for viewers in India and the subcontinent."

It will broadcast a weekly show titled "Inside the PGTI". This show will highlight the best golfing action from PGTI events and will feature golfers on the PGTI circuit. The sports channel will also air special promos and fillers based on Indian golfers and the PGTI tour.

Ten Golf will be the latest addition to the bouquet of products offered by Taj Television Limited, whose portfolio includes Ten Sports, Ten Cricket, Ten Action+, Ten HD. Ten bouquet of channel reaches 100 million households across India, the company said.