Viacom is taking a major step into the Indian market with a new joint venture in India with TV18 Group. Viacom-18 will include television, film and digital media content from numerous brands, including Nickelodeon, with the aim of building India’s leading multi-platform entertainment company. The partnership was announced yesterday in Mumbia by Philippe Dauman, president and CEO of Viacom and Raghav Bahl, MD of the TV18 Group.

As part of the agreement, Viacom-18 is launching a new Hindi-language general entertainment cable and satellite channel in India within the next year. The new station will include original, locally produced programming and acquisitions. The new network will also launch a further suite of niche channels in the future from the MTV Network’s stable and new brands.

The TV18 Group is also contributing its motion pictures division operation to the joint venture, which produces acquires and distributes Hindi-language films. In the coming months, Viacom holdings Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks studios will likely work with the new company to produce full length features.