Reliance Communications Ltd. and Microsoft Corp. today announced a strategic partnership to deliver a highly connected, personalized TV experience to consumers in India through Reliance’s Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service, which will be powered by the award-winning Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV software platform. The announcement was made by Anil D Ambani, chairman, Reliance Communications, and Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft, at a press event today in Mumbai. Reliance Communications shall have the exclusive deployment right for the platform in India.

Reliance’s IPTV service, powered by the Microsoft Mediaroom platform, will allow Reliance to deliver entirely new, connected and personalized TV experiences for Indian consumers, with several advanced features, such as video on demand (VOD), digital video recording (DVR), instant channel changing, and personal media sharing. IPTV subscribers will be able to watch popular standard definition (SD) content as well as high-definition (HD) content — for the first time in India — at the click of a button from the comfort of their homes, and enjoy a connected entertainment experience that will soon allow them to watch their favorite shows on their TV or PC. The service will be launched by fiscal end (March 2008).