MUMBAI: With All India Radio (AIR) on the fast track to transition to digital, the implementation of the receivers is also moving quickly with around seven DRM transmitters stated to be operational by July 2013.

A meeting was held by AIR with the radio receiver manufacturers in Akashwani Bhawan New Delhi, which was also attended by eight receiver manufacturers, two chip manufacturers and representatives of the DRM Consortium.

The director general and engineer-in-chief of All India Radio and the joint secretary of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting addressed the participants and outlined the progress of installation of the digital (DRM) transmitters.

It was noted that the 1000 kW DRM transmitter in Rajkot was already operational and six more including the 1000 kW transmitter at Chinsurah (Kolkata) and six 20 kW DRM transmitters in Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati, Tawang, Barmer and Bikaner would be operational by July 2013.

The schedule of implementation for the remaining 27 DRM transmitters which have already been ordered was also announced.

The meeting also highlighted the predicted coverage area for each of these transmitters and once the transmitters are operational in August 2014, they would be enabled to provide coverage to over 70 per cent of the population in the country.

The joint secretary explained that the Government of India has made huge investment in the installation of state-of-art DRM transmitters. Therefore, receiver manufacturers and distributors should come forward so that digital receivers at affordable prices can be made available across the country in order to reap the benefits of digitization.

Receiver manufacturers welcomed the initiative and assured that they would take it forward. They recommended that All India Radio should mount a publicity campaign to outline the advantages and features of digital radio which are not available on the analogue receivers. They further advised that DRM reception on mobile phones should also be ensured. On the issue of cost it was mentioned that digital radio chips are now available and as in the case of mobile phones, the prices will fall sharply once there is an increase in demand.