I&B Ministry
Govt panel discusses autonomous Prasar’s ‘outreach’ funding from external affairs ministry
NEW DELHI: With the central government laying emphasis on its external relations, particularly with neighbouring countries, the Standing Advisory Committee of All-India Radio has decided to work in tandem with the external affairs ministry with regard to reaching out to other countries through its broadcast services.
The Committee, which met recently after 34 years (the last meeting was in 1983) and for the first time after Prasar Bharati came into being in 1997, took various decisions which will enable greater interaction between the external affairs ministry and the pubcaster.
AIR external services director Amlanjyoti Mazumdar told Indiantelevision.com that the meeting, held at the initiative of AIR, was chaired by the ministry of information and broadcasting additional secretary Jayashree Mukherjee though the committee is headed by the MIB secretary.
The committee was “revived and reconstituted” as part of the revamping process of the External Services Division (ESD) of the public broadcaster.
The committee represents various stakeholders of public diplomacy like ministries of external affairs and home affairs as well as the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
Mazumdar said that under Section 12(4) of the Prasar Bharati Act 1990, the ESD has to be funded by the external affairs ministry. However, ESD has, so far, been funded through internal resources of the pubcaster. This matter was also taken up at the meeting, where it was clearly stated that channels like Voice of America or Germany’s Deutsche Welle or the external services of Canada were funded by the foreign affairs departments of those countries.
Mazumdar said the issue was never raised when the government was funding All-India Radio and Doordarshan, but had become important after Prasar Bharati came into being as an autonomous organisation.
One of the issues discussed in the meeting was how to counter the increasing penetration of foreign radio broadcast in the country, particularly in the north eastern states, sources said.
It was pointed out that, at a time when the government is keen to reach out to the neighbouring countries, AIR did not have a service for Bhutan.
A strategy for broadcasting outside India like in Myanmar and Tibetan Autonomous Region was also discussed during the meeting, they said.
The role of Indian missions abroad to enrich the programme with country-specific inputs was also discussed in the meeting, the sources added.
I&B Ministry
Doordarshan, ICCR sign MoU to boost global reach of Indian culture
Pact taps TV, radio and digital platforms to take cultural content worldwide
NEW DELHI: In a move aimed at taking India’s cultural story further across borders, Doordarshan under Prasar Bharati has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations to expand the global reach of Indian cultural content.
The agreement, signed on April 7 at Doordarshan Bhawan, brings together the content strength of ICCR and the wide broadcast network of Doordarshan, spanning television, radio and digital platforms.
Under the partnership, ICCR will provide a steady stream of cultural programming, including performances and events organised by Indian missions abroad such as embassies, consulates and cultural centres. Doordarshan will handle production, coverage and distribution, ensuring that these programmes find audiences not just in India but across the world.
The collaboration also opens the door for recorded cultural content from overseas missions to be aired across multiple platforms, including OTT and social media, making Indian art, music and heritage more accessible to global viewers.
A notable feature of the MoU is joint ownership of content rights in perpetuity, including digital rights. This allows both organisations to archive and reuse material over time, building a long-term cultural repository while maximising reach. Doordarshan will also support pre-event promotion and cross-platform visibility to drive engagement.
Speaking at the signing, Doordarshan director general K. Satish Nambudiripad and Indian Council for Cultural Relations director general K. Nandini Singla highlighted the potential of the partnership to strengthen India’s cultural diplomacy through modern media channels.
The agreement, initially valid for three years, also allows Doordarshan to explore monetisation opportunities from the content generated, adding a commercial layer to cultural broadcasting.
As India looks to blend tradition with technology, this partnership signals a clear intent to make its cultural voice not just heard, but seen and streamed across the globe.
