The good times may have deserted Australian Radio for the time-being but the industry is buzzing in India, according to globe trotting ex-pat, Keith Fowler Fowler, who is currently working with Malaysia’s AMP Radio Networks as well as RED/ Power/ Aamar, India and Radio 1, Indonesia was a long time PD with Austereo cutting his teeth at SA-FM.

“Actually it’s really exciting,” Fowler told radioinfo, “India is arguably the most exciting radio market in the world. Here with the granting of over 300 licences over the last 5 years with another 350 to come sometime in the next couple of years, FM is seen as new media and so there is a positive reaction to it.”

The youth market in particular has embraced the explosion of new radio stations broadcasting youth formats. Given that the median age in India is just 23, that’s a recipe for success.

“40% of radio listening in the 3 or 4 biggest cities is done on FM embedded mobile phones and there will be 750 million mobile phone owners in India by next year,” says Fowler.

Economists forecast that India will still have 3 -5 % growth this year. Considerably down on previous years but still powering ahead compared to Australia and much of the developed world.