A major economic think tank has projected that television-based commerce will lead growth in the nation’s home shopping industry.

Samsung Economic Research Institute also forecast in a report Tuesday that the so-called t-commerce service will emerge as a new distribution outlet this year, helping home shopping channels overcome obstacles, including limited number of items and broadcasting time.

The research institute added that the number of digital TV subscribers is likely to rise 70 percent and the size of the t-commerce market 65 percent annually in the next four years.

Last March, the Korean Broadcasting Commission authorized five cable home shopping channels and five other firms, including KT Hitel Company, to launch t-commerce service.

T-commerce service enables digital TV viewers to shop via their remote controls without making phone calls or logging onto Internet sites.