MUMBAI: BBC World has inked a deal with the first private direct-to-home operator Dish TV. The BBC's 24-hour international news and information channel will be part of the Dish Welcome package.

BBC World, recently shifted to from a free-to-air channel to a subscription model. The channel claims to reach around 15 million homes across India via cable TV. And with the deal with Dish TV, the channel's total distribution will touch 16.5 million Indian homes.

BBC World attracts a high-profile audience who are modern-minded, educated and like to keep up to date with what's going on in the world.

"India is a fast-growing market for multi-channel television and a key market for BBC World. We are delighted to be part of this Dish TV offer as it brings BBC World to a new and dynamic audience," says BBC World South Asia head of distribution and business development Amit Upadhyay. "The channel is highly regarded in India and has a loyal following. We are pleased to be providing new viewers with our award-winning journalism and news reporting."

"In the last year and a half, Dish TV has emerged as one of the fastest growing digital platforms in the country. Our association with BCC World is in line with our commitment to provide the best of infotainment news and information programming available, in India or abroad, to our subscribers. We are sure that Dish TV subscribers would be happy to access BCC World in India shortly, mentioned Dish TV business head Jawahar Goel.