Broadcasters race to fill gaps in India: networks, skeins multiply, aiming to lure country's 116 million TV homes (and 110 million without).(IN FOCUS: NATION ON THE RISE)

Half an hour of channel surfing in metropolitan Mumbai can leave a foreign visitor bewildered and exhausted--but in no doubt of the Indian TV scene's fast-moving vibrancy.

No wonder, then, that Mipcom is celebrating India Day and feting two of Indian entertainment's biggest execs, Zee founder Subhash Chandra and UTV boss Ronnie Screwvala.

Skeins crackle with energy. They stretch from tearjerking soaps and Bollywood movies to manipulative reality shows and addictive talent contests. Network choice ranges from dedicated sportscasters with myriad onscreen stats and garish interactive features to polished 24-hour news channels that have learned all the best bits from older foreign pioneers. Though the mix also includes some staid …