I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati revenue falls 9 per cent to Rs 1,643 crore in FY25
Doordarshan and Akashvani revenues decline as digital operations grow 30 per cent
MUMBAI: The public broadcaster’s numbers are sounding a little less loud. Prasar Bharati’s total revenue, net of taxes and commission, fell 9.46 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1,643.35 crore in FY2024-25 from Rs 1,815.07 crore a year earlier, with declines across most of its major revenue streams. The Rs 171.72 crore drop was led by Doordarshan, whose commercial revenue fell 30.89 per cent to Rs 256.74 crore in FY2024-25 from Rs 371.48 crore in FY2023-24.
Akashvani also saw its commercial revenue shrink during the year. Revenue from the public radio broadcaster stood at Rs 222.73 crore, down 14.47 per cent from Rs 260.43 crore in the previous financial year.
Prasar Bharati’s Direct-to-Home (DTH) platform remained its largest revenue contributor, although it too moved backwards. DTH revenue declined 1.54 per cent to Rs 1,060.71 crore from Rs 1,077.27 crore in FY2023-24. Revenue under the PB Resources category followed the broader downward trend, falling 3.28 per cent to Rs 100.27 crore from Rs 103.66 crore a year earlier.
Digital operations, however, bucked the trend. Revenue from the segment rose 30.04 per cent year-on-year to Rs 2.90 crore in FY2024-25 from Rs 2.23 crore in FY2023-24. Despite the growth rate, digital remained a relatively small contributor to the broadcaster’s overall revenue.
The annual report also breaks down the year’s earnings between April 2024 and February 2025 and March 2025. Prasar Bharati generated Rs 1,453.02 crore during the April-February period, compared with Rs 1,630.41 crore in the corresponding period of FY2023-24.
March provided a modest late-year lift, with revenue reaching Rs 190.33 crore, marginally higher than the Rs 184.67 crore recorded in March 2024.
Overall, the FY2024-25 picture was one of broad-based pressure, with DTH, PB Resources, Akashvani and Doordarshan all recording year-on-year declines. Digital operations were the sole segment to move in the opposite direction, posting growth even as the broadcaster’s overall revenue slipped.
