I&B Ministry
I&B ministry drafts policy guidelines to improve govt’s social media outreach
MUMBAI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has come up with policy guidelines for empanelment of social media platforms with Bureau of Outreach and Communication (BOC). The new policy guideline is aimed at improving the social media outreach along with putting in place a policy framework which enables ministries and BOC to engage with social media platforms on the basis of various criteria, terms and conditions and processes stipulated in the guidelines.
“A number of ministries and departments of government of India have a substantial presence as well as organic reach across various social media platforms which they utilise to connect to the members of the public. However, the organic reach is limited to only such people who have connected with the social media handle of the concerned ministry/department. At times, the need is felt to reach or connect to people who are not connected/linked with social media handle of the concerned ministry/department,” MIB stated.
“It is important for the ministry to determine modalities for engaging social media platforms for assured reach. Hence there is a definite need for policy guidelines for engagement of social media platforms so that assured reach may be attained on payment basis to increase visibility of socially relevant messages,” it added.
The new policy guidelines will remain valid for a period of five years.
Media planning and execution of campaigns:
BOC will determine which social media platform(s) is/are relevant in light of planned outreach activity of the client ministry/department based on target audience, theme and content of proposed activity, budget and duration of the campaign.
In doing so, preference may be given to the social media platforms which are based in India without affecting the desired outcome from the campaign activities.
BOC will prepare a media plan within the indicated budget wherein the suggested platforms and the expected deliverables would be indicated to the ministries/ departments along with the tentative cost. However, since the models are based on dynamic pricing/auction/bidding, the actual delivery (as against expected deliverables) and the actual buying rates (as against indicated in the plan) would be found out on the final completion of the campaign.
The difference between the media plan conveyed to the client and the media plan actually executed will be communicated to the client ministry/department post execution with details. These terms shall be communicated by BOC to the client Ministry/Department before execution and their acceptance would be obtained before executing the media plan.
The client ministry/department shall indicate social media page/handle which will be designated for the campaign activity. The ministry/department will also be required to share the credentials (such as password) of the page/handle. Thereafter, the BOC and client ministry/department will nominate personnel to execute and monitor the campaign.
BOC will schedule the activity in such a manner that more deliverables may be generated at a lesser cost wherever timelines for undertaking the activity permits such scheduling.
The ministries/departments would have to convey approval for outreach activity to BOC at least five days in advance for the campaign to get started.
The ministries/departments would place 100 per cent funds in advance with BOC for campaign to be run. This is non-negotiable as default in payment by one ministry/department may adversely impact social media campaigns of other ministries/departments of the government. If the actual expenditure exceeds the planned expenditure, the balance shall be paid by the client ministry/department to the BOC.
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I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati opens AIR to private content under new policy
NIPP introduces revenue share, sponsored and gratis models
MUMBAI: Radio may be the oldest voice in the room, but it’s learning some very modern tricks. In a bid to stay tuned to changing listener habits, Prasar Bharati has opened the doors of All India Radio to private players under a newly rolled-out content framework. The initiative, titled Notice Inviting Programme Proposals (NIPP), marks a significant shift in how the public broadcaster approaches programming moving from a largely in-house model to a more collaborative, market-aligned ecosystem. Issued by Akashvani’s Directorate General in April 2026, the policy invites private producers, content owners and aggregators to pitch programmes across formats, from radio dramas and documentaries to quiz shows, storytelling and music-led content.
At the heart of the framework lies a three-pronged participation model designed to balance creative freedom with commercial viability. The most prominent route is revenue sharing, where advertising and sponsorship income generated by a programme is split between the producer and the broadcaster. The structure tilts in favour of creators offering a 70:30 split when producers bring in advertising, and 65:35 when monetisation is handled by Prasar Bharati.
Alongside this sits the sponsored model, where producers fully fund and monetise their content, subject to compliance with advertising norms and the AIR Broadcast Code. For those less commercially inclined, a gratis route allows content to be submitted free of cost, with Prasar Bharati retaining all monetisation rights effectively turning the platform into a national distribution channel for diverse voices.
The move comes as legacy media grapples with intensifying competition from private FM networks, streaming platforms and digital audio ecosystems. By repositioning AIR as both a public service broadcaster and a content marketplace, Prasar Bharati appears to be recalibrating its role in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
Importantly, the framework does not dilute editorial control. All submissions must adhere to the AIR Broadcast Code, and proposals are evaluated through a layered process that weighs storytelling quality, production capability, audience appeal and revenue potential. Only proposals crossing a defined threshold move forward, signalling that while access has widened, the bar remains firmly in place.
Operational discipline is another cornerstone of the policy. Producers are required to maintain broadcast-ready content, deliver episode banks in advance and navigate a structured approval process. Crucially, all production costs are borne by the content provider, reinforcing Prasar Bharati’s positioning as a distribution and oversight platform rather than a commissioning entity.
What elevates the initiative further is its scale. The framework spans multiple clusters and stations across India, covering both metro and regional markets, with specific language mandates and submission channels. This not only expands the content pipeline but also deepens linguistic and cultural representation, an area where AIR has historically held an advantage.
In effect, NIPP signals a quiet but meaningful transformation. AIR is no longer just broadcasting to the nation, it is inviting the nation to broadcast with it, blending legacy reach with contemporary content economics in a bid to stay relevant in an increasingly fragmented audio universe.
