Viacom, the US media group that owns MTV and Paramount Pictures, plans a big push into India’s television market and proposes to launch a Hindi-language channel within a year.

The group is setting up a 50:50 venture with India’s TV18 to run the project. Viacom will also inject its existing channels in India – MTV, Nickelodeon and VH1 – into the venture, called Viacom-18. Its Indian partner will inject its motion pictures division.