An Indian software company has been helping radio networks at home and in the Middle East to monetise their apps through contests.

Bangalore-based Punch Media created on air games around the classic Indian parlour game Tambola.

In Dubai, Gulf News-owned Radio 1 branded the contest the HitList, for a chance to share in 100,000 dirhams worth of cash prizes.

The app generated 5 HitList songs for each listener who entered the contest, from a selection of 50 songs.

If the station played one of the songs on the listener’s HitList, they would win 1,000 dirhams.

The cash prize would climb for each personalised HitList song played – if aired continuously.

Similar contests have run on Radio One in Bangalore and Pune (Bollywood Bingo),  Radio Mirchi in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore (Musical Tambola), Radio Mango in Kerala (Malayala Manorama) and on Hum FM in Dubai (Malamaal Hits).

Initially designed to work through SMS entries, the technology has been extended to work on smartphone apps.

When run on Radio Mirchi, the app won the Merit Award for Innovation using Digital Technology at Designomics 2012.

Punch Media’s CEO Lt K. Sreenath is keen to work with other stations in Asia, who are looking to utilise the technology to create innovative on air contests.

You can reach them at punchmedia.co.in.