NI firm wins major contract with Indian Radio Networks

Belfast-based digital technology leader, APT is to supply broadcast equipment to many of India’s newly licensed FM radio stations in a deal initially worth around £500,000, following its participation in a recent Invest Northern Ireland trade mission.

APT has sold almost 200 codecs for inter-studio networking and studio transmitter links into the country to date with several other deals in the pipeline.

The contracts are the result of a partnership with APT’s New Delhi based distributor, Electro-Dynamics,

The contracts were announced by Jonny McClintock, APT’s Commercial Director, and welcomed by Alan Hingston, Invest NI’s Trade Director.

Mr McClintock said: “These sales have resulted from the recent granting of over 300 private FM licenses throughout India. Complementing the government-run AM service, the newly licensed stations will deliver FM coverage to 350-400 million people throughout the country.

“Companies such as Adlabs, Malar Publications and Hindustan Times are among those who successfully bid for the new licenses and have chosen APT codecs to transport audio content over IP links. In many cases, the station’s engineering team undertook extensive field trials and consultation with leading system integrators before deciding on our market leading equipment.”

He continued: “The tests showed that our equipment offered superb quality digital audio. We are delighted with the recent contracts we have secured in India. The opportunities and challenges faced by all involved in the India broadcast industry at this time are immense and we are proud to have been selected as a trusted supplier to these new FM stations.”

Alan Hingston, Invest NI’s Trade Director, said: “APT’s outstanding success in India provides yet another excellent example of the opportunities that our trade mission programme offers ambitious companies wishing to either start exporting or, in APT’s case, to develop a strong presence in a new global marketplace.

“India is a market that we have targeted for growth. We’ve been encouraged by the response that we’ve received from local companies to the initiative and particularly by the growth in export business being recorded over the past year.”

(EF/KMcA)