Dubai, April 3 Fresh after launching a monthly magazine to project India and the Indian diaspora in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Indian consulate here will launch a weekly radio programme on Saturday to complement the publication.

Named India Matters, the same as the magazine that was launched on March 29 by former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the new radio programme will be aired on FM 105.4 Radio Spice every Saturday between 6 and 7 p.m.

The one-hour show will be packed with news, views and interviews regarding consulate services, India-UAE relations and trade and tourism in India, according to a statement issued by the Indian mission here.

It will aim to provide information on the latest developments in India, as well as events and happenings relating to India and the Indian community in the UAE.

"Radio is a very powerful medium and we want to take full advantage of it," India's Consul General in Dubai Venu Rajamony said in a statement.

"This is an effort to reach out to a wider audience. The idea is to complement the magazine, which will come out every month, with a broadcast every week. This will help us to get the information out to our audience and bring us feedback much quicker," he said.

Radio Spice caters to the varying musical tastes of the South Asian community in the UAE, broadcasting mainly in Hindi and English. It offers popular music, news, including business and sports, contests and utilities.

There are around 1.5 million expatriate Indians in the UAE.