GS Group investment and industry holding held a range of events within Innoprom 2014. Russia’s main industrial trade fair took place on July 09-12, 2014 in Ekaterinburg. On July 10 the holding experts spoke at the conference on successful experience of GS Group entering pay-TV market of the Southeast Asia and establishing broadcasting projects there.
The Russian business is now actively developing Asian markets and establishing partnerships with Asian countries.
GS Group is one of the leading high-tech companies in Russia, it already has successful experience in entering the Asian markets and applying its international expertise there since 2011.
On July 10 GS Group took part in the round table “Modern Industrial and Technology Policies in Asia: challenges and opportunities for Russia”, organized by the Center for Strategic Research “North-West”. Sharaf Kochkarov, Representative for foreign relations, Foreign Broadcasting Projects Department, GS Group, unveiled the successful experience of GS Group entering pay-TV market of the Southeast Asia and establishing broadcasting projects there.
The round table gathered industry experts from Southeast Asia, officials from China, Indonesia, South Korea, India, as well as Russian high authorities from The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation and The Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. All the participants took an active part in the event and were engaged in a heated discussion on the perspectives of the Asian markets for Russia.
GS Group stood out among the Russian businesses presented at the conference as it is the only Russian private company investing in the development of overseas broadcasting projects based on its own technologies. Having considerable expertise in the launching and management of national digital broadcasting projects, the holding is successfully implementing projects around the world. Thus, the holding speaker unveiled the One TV project success story, which is the first nationwide broadcasting operator in Cambodia.
One TV was launched in 2012 in partnership with a local partner – the largest commercial conglomerate Royal Group of Companies. The project became the first national operator of digital terrestrial television in Cambodia. Preparing the infrastructure and starting broadcasting took less than one year which is a record time for projects of such technical complexity. Broadcasting is now available in 10 Cambodian major provinces, reaching 80 per cent of the country’s population. One TV offers 80 digital channels on various subjects. Packages include local, international and Russian channels.
- Sharaf Kochkarov shared the key success factors. Among them:
- The local market expertise and comprehensive assistance from the partner;
- Betting on a developing country: the transition to digital format having already occurred or being about to occur in developed countries;
- Implementation of the newest technologies in the field of digital television, as well as GS Group advanced management;
- ·Smart balance of the international expertise and the local mentality when choosing a business model.
In just two years One TV became the first nationwide broadcasting operator in the country, reaching the most extensive coverage. Over 150 jobs for the local specialists were created. Besides that, One TV implemented the first in Cambodian pay TV market loyalty program for customers, introducing microfinancing through one of the largest national bank in the country – Acleda Bank.
GS Group is simultaneously developing several broadcasting projects. When choosing a country to enter the holding experts take into account primarily the following factors:
- Sufficient number of population;
- Moderate level of TV penetration;
- Purchasing power of the population;
- Undeveloped commercial television sector in the country;
- Possibility to withdraw the dividends;
- Legislative restrictions on foreign participation in the television sector.
The digitization of television in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar and other countries is in GS Group upcoming plans.
Projects are now under development at the different degrees of completion.