Realty TV - Live every moment in India

A 24-hour TV channel dedicated to real estate goes on air this month in India, a hot property market where buying a new home is considered a hallmark of success among the youthful middle class. About 90 percent of all property investment in the country is in houses, while an economy growing at 8 to 9 percent a year has spurred demand for shopping malls and offices as well.

The owners of "Real Estate TV" say their station will be the first of its kind in south and southeast Asia, a one-stop shop for everything related to the property business and some 250 related industries, such as cement and steel. "It will provide comprehensive, latest and authentic updates on all aspects of real estate, including infrastructure," said Manoj Namburu, chairman of the Alliance Group which owns it.

"Apart from property information, analysis and advice, we will have various shows on lifestyle, heritage homes and interior decor among other things," said Krishnan Sriram, the channel's corporate communications chief. The channel can also be seen in the Middle East, targeting the large Indian expatriate community in the Gulf.

Real Estate TV will also air game shows and even soap operas with a real estate theme, as well as a reality show on the red tape and corruption that faces home-buyers. India's property boom gathered pace after the government eased rules on foreign investment in the construction industry in 2005 to help revamp the country's crumbling infrastructure and fill an estimated shortfall of 20 million homes.

Investors, especially from the United States, have flocked to India since, drawn by a demand for homes among a burgeoning middle class, whose income is growing at 12 percent a year. Still, rising mortgage rates and a doubling of property prices in major cities in the last two years have sharply raised home prices, sparking fears of a downturn. But Real Estate TV is confident of finding a profitable niche on Indian airwaves -- already congested with a glut of news, entertainment, sports and spirituality channels -- because the construction industry is a top advertisement spender.