GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3914
(TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.03.2026)
MODERNISATION OF DOORDARSHAN AND ALL INDIA RADIO
3914. SHRI A. D. SINGH:
Will the Minister of Information and Broadcasting be pleased to state:
(a) the steps taken to modernize Doordarshan and All India Radio;
(b) whether Prasar Bharati is expanding digital broadcasting...
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3914 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.03.2026) MODERNISATION OF DOORDARSHAN AND ALL INDIA RADIO
3914. SHRI A. D. SINGH:
Will the Minister of Information and Broadcasting be pleased to state:
(a) the steps taken to modernize Doordarshan and All India Radio;
(b) whether Prasar Bharati is expanding digital broadcasting and news services; and
(c) the measures to improve reach, quality and competitiveness of public service broadcasting? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (DR. L. MURUGAN)
(a) to (c): Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND) scheme is a Central Sector Scheme for development, modernization and upgradation of broadcasting infrastructure of Doordarshan and Akashvani in the country. BIND scheme has been approved with a total outlay of ₹2539.61 crore for 2021-26.
The scheme includes setting up and modernization of transmitters and studios of Akashvani, expansion of DD Free Dish DTH platform and DD TV channels. It also includes upgrading production & transmission facilities. It focuses on content generation and innovation, and expanding the reach of public broadcasting in strategic, border, and LWE-affected areas.
Prasar Bharati’s Waves OTT platform has significantly improved the reach and accessibility of Indian cultural content globally. Since its launch, the platform has achieved over 1.2 crore downloads and built a registered userbase of around 85 lakh users across geographies.
Doordarshan also provides a free-to-air Direct-to-Home (DTH) service through DD Free Dish.
It hosts over 450 infotainment channels, including Doordarshan, private and educational channels.The terrestrial coverage of Akashvani is about 90% by geographical area and 98% by population of the country. More than 260 Akashvani channels can also be listened through “NewsOnAIR” app on mobile phones. Some Akashvani channels are also made available on DD Free Dish & Waves OTT. 59 new FM transmitters have been approved under BIND scheme for further improving reach for public broadcasting.
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