DOORDARSHAN'S GLORIOUS JOURNEY OF 66 YEARS

New Delhi, Sep 15, 2025 : India's premier public service broadcaster, Doordarshan, is celebrating its 66th Foundation Day on September 15, 2025. It started in 1959 as an experimental television service under All India Radio. Over the last few decades, it has evolved as an important platform for information dissemination, cultural preservation and national integration, reaching almost 100% of the population through satellite and DTH services. As a part of Prasar Bharati since 1997, Doordarshan has been giving priority to public interest broadcasting with focus on education, news and entertainment.

Doordarshan is celebrating its 66th Foundation Day on September 15, 2025 with a special cultural program titled “Shabdanjali: DD@66”. It will be organized at Rang Bhavan, Akashvani Bhavan, New Delhi.

History

India's public broadcaster, Doordarshan, will celebrate its 66th Foundation Day on September 15, 2025. It began in 1959 as an experimental television service under All India Radio (now known as Akashvani). Over the past decades, it has evolved into an important platform for information dissemination, cultural preservation and national integration, reaching almost 100% of the population through satellite and DTH services. As a part of Prasar Bharati since 1997, Doordarshan has been prioritizing public interest broadcasting, focusing on education, news and entertainment.

A watershed moment came with the separation from All India Radio (AIR) on April 1, 1976, which gave Doordarshan operational autonomy to expand its reach. The introduction of colour television on August 15, 1982, coinciding with the Asian Games in Delhi, brought about a sea change in Doordarshan's visual appeal and viewership. The establishment of Prasar Bharati as an autonomous corporation on September 23, 1997 under the Prasar Bharati Act, 1990 further professionalised Doordarshan and integrated it with All India Radio under a unified public broadcasting framework.

present

With a network of 35 satellite channels and 66 studio centres, Doordarshan serves diverse linguistic and cultural communities by providing content in over 24 languages and various dialects. Its DD Free Dish platform, which covers 49 million homes by 2024, remains India's largest free-to-air DTH service. Doordarshan's commitment to public service is evident in its focus on socially relevant programmes such as health campaigns and educational initiatives, in line with national development goals.

Today, the vibrant bouquet of Doordarshan Network comprises of 35 channels, which includes 06 National Channels, 28 Regional Channels and 1 International Channel (DD India).



DD News: A pillar of public broadcasting

India's only terrestrial-cum-satellite news channel , DD News, has been providing balanced, unbiased and accurate news since its launch on November 3, 2003 by converting DD-Metro into a 24-hour news channel. DD News offers more than 17 hours of live programming daily. This includes more than 30 news bulletins and regional content produced by 30 Regional News Units (RNUs) in 26 languages/dialects. The channel offers diverse content in Hindi as well as Sanskrit and sign language. It includes a business program, current affairs program, special programs on health, youth, cinema, art, culture, major government schemes, a news magazine program in Sanskrit, etc. It also provides content for sister channels like DD National, DD India and DD Urdu.

While actively engaging with viewers through social media platforms such as Twitter (@DDNewsLive) and YouTube (youtube.com/DDNewsOfficial) , DD News also disseminates real-time news updates as well as relevant information on its ticker band for public awareness. This dynamic presence reinforces its role as a credible, inclusive source of information that promotes public awareness and national integration.

DD India: Serving International Audiences

DD India, launched in 1995 as DD International and later renamed as DD, is Prasar Bharati's free-to-air satellite English news channel, targeting a global audience, including the diaspora. It focuses on news, current affairs, foreign affairs, economy, sports and entertainment, with the aim of presenting India's viewpoint internationally. Available in High Definition (HD) since October 2020, the channel competes with the top private English news channels and has received accreditation from BARC. DD India leverages cable and satellite platforms to meet the growing demand for Indian content abroad, with an emphasis on live reporting and in-depth analysis.

Prime Minister's Mann Ki Baat on Doordarshan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio and television address, "Mann Ki Baat", is a flagship programme aired on DD National and DD News as well as other Doordarshan channels, aimed at engaging with citizens on national issues, culture and development. The programme, which is broadcast live, reaches a wide audience through Doordarshan's vast network and DD Free Dish, ensuring its reach across rural and urban areas. It also connects to international audiences through DD India. The programme promotes public participation, highlights grassroots initiatives, and discusses topics such as education, health and sustainability in line with national priorities.

Iconic Doordarshan Series

Doordarshan aired some of the most iconic series such as Ramayan, Mahabharat, Hum Log, Buniyaad, Chanakya, Malgudi Days, Shaktimaan, Chitrahaar, Fauji, Circus and Udaan , which set high standards of exceptional programming and entertainment while continuing to perform its essential function of raising mass awareness.

DD Free Dish: India's largest free-to-air service

DD Free Dish DTH service was launched in December 2004. It is the only free-to-air (FTA) direct-to-home (DTH) service with no monthly subscription charges. Today, this unmatched service has reached 49 million homes across India. A wide range of channels are available on the DD Free Dish platform, including 9 HD channels, 35 SD channels of Doordarshan Network, 48 radio channels of All India Radio, 2 HD and 2 SD channels of Sansad TV, 92 private TV channels and 266 co-branded educational channels. The service broadcasts diverse content including entertainment, news and educational programs like PM e-Vidya without an internet connection.

Digital Start: Digital Transformation with Waves OTT Platform

Under the aegis of Prasar Bharati, Doordarshan launched its Waves OTT platform in November 2024. Which marks a significant shift from traditional broadcasting to modern streaming. This comprehensive digital hub, providing content in 12 languages, plans to include all major Indian languages. The platform attracts a diverse audience and has achieved significant global engagement, reaching audiences in the US, UK, Europe, Middle East, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand this year. Waves' partnership with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) sets it apart by showcasing India's culture while adopting modern digital trends by adding e-commerce to the app, combining entertainment, education and shopping.

Waves' success underlines Doordarshan's ability to adapt to the cord-cutting era, delivering clean, inclusive and family-friendly content while maintaining its public service principles. With over 70 live TV channels, including Doordarshan's own and private networks like B4U, SAB Group and 9X Media, along with interactive features like free-to-play games and curated youth content, Waves has expanded its global partnerships.

The launch of Waves establishes Doordarshan as a visionary broadcaster, leveraging its vast infrastructure to provide high-quality digital content, and cementing its role as a cultural and educational cornerstone in India and beyond.

PB Words – A new way of disseminating news

Prasar Bharati-Shared Audio-Visual for Broadcast and Dissemination (PB-Shabad), launched on March 13, 2024 as a news sharing service, provides daily news feeds in video, audio, text and photo formats to media organisations. It leverages a network of over 1200 journalists, correspondents and stringers, with over 2500 media clients annually, leading to more than 1000 stories per day across 50+ categories including agriculture, technology, foreign affairs and political developments in major Indian languages from regional news units and headquarters. Its key features include logo-free content, which does not require credit for use. An editorial module has also been created that includes expert articles that help people understand complex issues in simple terms.

DD Sports

Prasar Bharati Sports has taken several steps in recent years to revitalize the content of DD Sports and OTT channel Waves. The aim is to increase the channel's viewership through holistic and meaningful sports content, play an active role as a public broadcaster in making India a sporting power, and make exclusive sports content available to all sports lovers across the country.

Firstly, several steps have been taken to improve the quality of production of live programmes, i.e. pre-show, mid-show and post-show of important international matches telecast under the Sports Act, 2008. This has been done through real-time data, state-of-the-art graphics and global standard look and feel of the sets.

Second, the production quality of major sporting events of the Government of India-run Khelo India Games has been improved. In recent years, DD Sports has successfully produced and telecast major events such as the National Games in Gujarat, Goa and Uttarakhand, Khelo India Youth Games in Tamil Nadu and Bihar, Khelo India University Games in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and the Northeast, Khelo India Para Games in New Delhi, Khelo India Beach Games in Diu, Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg and Leh.

Prasar Bharati Sports has tied up with leading international and national agencies to bring fresh and innovative content to the channel to increase its viewership. This includes a two-year deal with Ellipse CricViz Pvt Ltd, under which it will produce 104 episodes of the Great Indian Cricket Show, which will be broadcast on Doordarshan Network, Prasar Bharati and AIR's OTT platform Waves. In this series, prominent former Indian cricketers share their wins, losses and memories of events. Similarly, Prasar Bharati has signed an agreement with Aadi Group to produce the Global League of Wrestling, which will be the Indian version of a world-class global sports property.

Lastly, Prasar Bharati has also entered into an agreement with DFB Pokal- the German Cup, wherein key football matches from DFB Pokal and Women's Bundesliga are being telecast on DD Sports and Waves. The aim is to bring the best of global football to maximum Indian homes.

Partnership with IIT Kanpur and next-gen technologies

Doordarshan's commitment to technology innovation is evident from the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Prasar Bharati and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. The MoU has been signed to build a framework for next generation broadcasting including Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting and Direct to Mobile (D2M) solutions. The collaboration aims to modernise Doordarshan's infrastructure by integrating cutting edge standards like D2M broadcast, which will enable efficient content delivery to mobile devices and enhance accessibility in remote and urban areas.

Under the BIND Plan (2021-26), it is planned to expand the technical infrastructure on 24×7 regional channels to enable high-definition (HD) production and broadcasting.

This strategic alliance with IIT Kanpur positions Doordarshan at the forefront of broadcast innovation, aligned with the Government's ?2,539.61 crore Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND) scheme (2021-26) aimed at upgrading 28 regional channels to HD production and expanding All India Radio's FM coverage to over 80% of India's population. By adopting technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and file-based workflows, Doordarshan improves the quality of programming and the viewer experience, especially for educational and cultural content. These advancements not only improve operational efficiency but also strengthen Doordarshan's global competitiveness, enabling it to deliver high-quality content to diverse audiences while maintaining its spirit of public service in the rapidly growing digital media landscape.

Yupp TV's partnership with DD Kisan and integration of AI

In March 2022, Prasar Bharati signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Yupp TV , a leading over-the-top (OTT) platform, to expand DD India's global reach to countries such as the US, UK, Europe, Middle East, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand . A gateway to television audiences around the world, Yupp TV broadcasts DD India along with other Indian programmes, capitalising on the growing demand for India-centric programmes among the diaspora and global audiences.

Agriculture channel, Doordarshan Kisan has embraced technological innovation by inducting two AI anchors, AI Krish and AI Bhoomi, making it India's first government TV channel to use artificial intelligence for 24/7 news delivery. These AI anchors, capable of presenting in 50 languages, provide seamless, multilingual content to farmers and rural audiences, increasing reach and engagement on topics such as agriculture, rural development and environmental sustainability. This integration, initiated in recent years, complements Doordarshan's broader digital strategy, including the Waves OTT platform, and demonstrates its commitment to leverage next-generation technologies to serve diverse communities while maintaining its public service mandate.

Agriculture Channel

Doordarshan Kisan has embraced technological innovation by introducing two AI anchors, AI Krish and AI Bhoomi. Thus, it has become India's first government TV channel to use artificial intelligence for 24/7 news delivery. These AI anchors, capable of presenting in 50 languages, provide seamless, multilingual content to farmers and rural audiences, increasing reach and engagement on topics such as agriculture, rural development and environmental sustainability. This integration, initiated in recent years, complements Doordarshan's broader digital strategy, including the Waves OTT platform.