India’s Dish TV will invest a massive Rupees 13bn (about $300m) over the next few years in its DTH operation, and in so doing maintain Dish TV’s position within India’s fast-growing satellite broadcasting operators.

Dish TV recently raised Rup11.4bn in a rights issue, and Essel Group boss Subhash Chandra says the fresh cash will enable Dish TV to ramp up its subscribers base by an additional 6m subs. Dish TV is looking to sign up another 2.5m subs next year, and a further 3.5m in 2011.

Dish TV says it has already exhausted a Rs 3.10bn tranche raised earlier. “We plan to pump in Rs 14 billion over two years,” says a source in the company, quoted locally. Dish TV is also planning to raise up to $150m on the overseas markets via convertible bonds.