Speaking to The Financial Express, Discovery Channel managing director Kiran Karnik said the channel is working on the feasibility of getting into regional language programming. A business plan is presently being worked out, though no deadlines have been set for the foray, he said.

He did not rule out the possibility of tying up with regional channels for the purpose. Karnik said any venture involving regional language programming would entail investments running into several crore of rupees. To begin with, the channel may go for limited airtime and later float several parallel regional language channels, he said.

Discovery is also examining the possibility of introducing more theme-specific channels such as science, travel, health, culture andaviation. Any new channels, as and when they are launched, would be pay channels, said Karnik.

Discovery launched The Animal Planet in March this year. The response to the channel has been very positive, said officials.

Discovery Communications India, a subsidiary of US-based Discovery Communication Inc, recently got the go ahead from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board for fresh equity infusion to increase its investment in the country from $12 million to $25 million. The channel had earlier increased its equity investment in June last year from $5 million to $12 million.

Karnik said additional investments have been earmarked for meeting the channel's working capital needs, improving programming with more India-content and increasing the reach of the channel.

Without revealing any financial details, Karnik said the channel is yet to break even in India. "It takes on an average around five years for any niche channel to break even," he said. Discovery set up its India office in 1995 and beganfull-fledged operations in 1996.

Karnik said the response to the channels's programmes dubbed in Hindi has been very encouraging. Sixty per cent of its present programming is in Hindi and the rest in English. The channel started dubbing its programmes in Hindi two year back.

Karnik said that the channel was encouraging India-specific programming, share of which is expected to go up in coming months.

The Discovery channel claims to reach over 11 million households in the country. However, officials said that the channel has been finding it difficult to increase its reach due to limited number of decoders available.