The battle to gain control over the cellular service market is getting hot. To face competition from MTNL's Dolphin and Hutchison Max, BPL Mobile has entered into a strategic alliance with MTV India, This fits like a glove as both companies try to understand and reflect the ideas, lifestyles and values of youngsters.

MTV is trying to popularise BPL Mobile's new service miDate. In MTV Loveline a contest is being run. During the course of the show the VJ Cyrus asks an unusual question and the person who gives the most innovative answer will get a date with a VJ.

MTV VJs will also be promoting the relationship on the ground. Details for this will be finalised soon. The cellular company plans to launch lots of new products and customer services in the near future. It recently launched miDate for its subscribers in Mumbai.

MiDate is based on the SMS platform which according to Vikram Raizada, director, marketing, MTV India, is the hot new language among the youth. According to him the aim of forming this kind of partnership with BPL Mobile is to connect with the youth. The youth of today are wired and hanging out is very important for them. Besides this they constantly want to keep in touch with each other. In the "tuning into the Indian youth part 3" survey which was conducted recently, small and latest mobile phones ranked high on the must have list.

BPL Mobile has also tied up with Midday Multimedia Ltd to offer real time news content - miNews - to BPL's cellular service subscribers. A print campaign has also been launched.

Currently, Grey Worldwide and McCann Erickson handle their advertising. It is nor yet clear which ad agency will be finalised after merger.