NEW DELHI: With an eye to make more aggressive forays in the Indian market and exploit the popularity of Indian events and content abroad, the Dubai-headquartered ARY group has snapped up the international telecast rights of India fashion Week.
So, fashion followers across the world will now be able to catch all the action at Lakme India Fashion Week 2005, which is being held here from 20-26 April 2005, on ARY Digital Network in Pakistan, Middle East, North America and Europe.
ARY Digital is also looking to further strengthen its fashion portfolio and plans to invest in Indian designers and fashion brands and help them set up a base in Pakistan, thereby helping the Indian fashion design industry to expand its reach to a wider audience-base.
Announcing this at a press conference here today, ARY Digital Network president & CEO Salman Iqbal said, "ARY Digital Network is proud to be the international TV partner for Lakme India Fashion Week 2005. Our decision to broadcast this event was based on the fact that a common heritage, common historical linkage, and a common cultural bond bind both India and Pakistan and there is no better example of this than the fashion from our two countries.
He added that the successful response received of the fashion week coverage prompted ARY to "deepen our association this year."
Over the years, ARY Digital Network has been using the medium of television entertainment as a catalyst in building bridges between India and Pakistan as well as Indian and Pakistani expatriates living in the Middle East, the United Kingdom, Europe, America and Canada.
According to Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) DG Rathi Vinay Jha, the proprietor of LIFW, "FDCI is extremely pleased to partner with ARY Digital Network to provide a wider footprint for India's largest fashion event. This partnership takes Lakme India Fashion Week one step closer to the numerous international markets that our designers are targeting."
IMG, which handles the commercial aspects and management of LIFW, too expressed immense satisfaction on this association. Said IMG/TWI (South Asia) managing director and senior vice president Ravi Krishnan, "This alliance will provide LIFW the right exposure among international audiences."
The fashion trade event in the country, LIFW 2005 aims at providing a platform to develop business opportunities for India fashion industry professional. Top-notch professional in the fashion industry came together in December 1998 to form the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI).
As the flagship channel of the network, ARY Digital is a channel designed to present viewers entertainment that can be watched by the entire family. ARY Digital boasts of six region specific beams broadcasting as customized channels: ARY Digital - Pakistan, ARY Digital - Middle East, ARY Digital - UK, ARY Digital - Europe, ARY Digital - India and ARY Digital - USA. The network recently acquired the license for DTH (direct-to-home).
