The DRM for India Automotive Group congratulates the AIR staff on the successful trial in DRM for the FM band taking place in New Delhi now and, very soon, in Jaipur.
This trial is based on actual measurements and reception of audio signals in standalone and car radio sets. We are proud of the effort made by the DRM for India Automotive Group in supporting the current DRM trial.
A whole automotive eco-system has evolved in India around DRM. It includes chipset manufacturers like NXP, Tier-1 receiver manufacturers, and car brands like Hyundai, Maruti-Suzuki, Toyota, and others. These companies have invested large amounts of money in digitising car radios based on the DRM technology. As a result, in just two years over 2.5 million cars have come on the Indian roads, line-fitted with DRM receivers. The India trial has been an excellent opportunity to demonstrate how the existing DRM receivers for AM bands can be upgraded to support DRM in both AM and FM bands by a simple receiver firmware update (no change in hardware needed). Existing car receivers were updated and received live the DRM FM-band services on-air in Delhi, both during the February 24-25 presentation, and during the actual measurement trips in Delhi. We are grateful to the members of this industry group and the Indian world-class specialists they employ for their support. We also wish to thank Prasar Bharati, All India Radio, for all your efforts in making this DRM demonstration in FM possible and ready to experience live. The trial is being watched with interest domestically and internationally, as India already has one of the largest digitisation programs in the world, ready to be extended through the adoption of DRM in the VHF band II.