Media giant Viacom is planning an expansion of its TV operations into India, reports The Financial Times.

The company is partnering with India's TV18 to manage a new channel, Viacom-18. Existing Viacom stations like MTV, Nickelodeon and VH1 will be folded into the new operation.

The partnership is expected to be mutually beneficial for both entities. Viacom gets TV18's influence and expertise in India's complex regulatory environment. TV18 gets access to Viacom's slate of popular channels.