New Delhi / Mumbai – Airtel and STAR India have entered into a two-year strategic agreement with the latter to receive the former’s committed advertising outlay for the 24 months at a mutually-negotiated rate with inflation protection. Under the agreement, STAR and Airtel will jointly develop key properties to promote music across various audience segments, with the latter able to provide inputs to the creation of specific properties that will appeal to its customers. Both will also focus on developing customer interactivity programmes which will be driven through services including mobile text messaging. In addition, the contract provides Airtel with preferential access to content developed across all the STAR Group channels. Also, STAR will be the preferred destination for Airtel’s media needs, with the agreement providing Airtel with access to advertise across all of STAR’s channels in India including STAR Plus, STAR Gold, STAR One, Channel [V] India, STAR Utsav, Vijay, STAR World and STAR Movies. Uday Shankar, CEO, STAR India, said, “This long term partnership with Airtel represents another innovative approach by STAR in engaging the advertising and media planning community beyond simple media buying. We are delighted to build a partnership with Airtel and look to a mutually beneficial relationship that will help strengthen the power of the Airtel brand in the marketplace.”