Channel [V] operations in India China and International are incurring losses while the other operations are making profit, worldwide managing director Steve Smith told The Financial Express.

Though Channel [V] has increased its budget on India, losses will come down on stronger revenue growth, Smith said. Revenue from the other markets except China is also expected to improve.

Channel [V] has received $38 million to fund the losses over the next few years. India will get about 50 per cent of this amount, Smith said. The funding will be till the period Channel [V] breaks even. "We are expecting to break even within two-and-half-years," Smith said.

While Channel [V] India has moved away from a music to a youth-branded channel, China is where the Star network is yet to work out a clear strategy. Though the channel has tried out pop music fromstars in Taiwan and Hong Kong, it has not been able to expand its operations. "We are still in search of a formula," Smith said.

In India, Channel [V] is branding itself as a youth and not just a music channel. The channel is launching 20 new programmes while retaining six of its old shows. Besides, it will have a website called WWW.[V]india.com, beginning this 15th. Said Smith, "Music is just one of the things that the urban Indian youth is interested in.

Channel [V] may take the Indian formula to China within a month. "The youth in China is also career-minded and interested in education. Besides, the Chinese government will be more appreciative of our network if we air such non-music shows," Smith said.