Doordarshan India may soon broadcast in 100 countries
India has the largest diaspora population in the world
With intentions to outreach the mammoth of Indian diaspora and put across India’s outlook on various domestic and global affairs, the Indian ministry of Information and Broadcasting, is contemplating expansion of Doordarshan’s (Government of India’s official broadcaster) 24-hours broadcast to around 100 nations.
Currently, India’s official broadcaster – Doordarshan’s (DD India) 24-hour programme transmits news, cultural and general entertainment programmes for the diaspora in countries including Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
To amplify these broadcasts, the Indian Information and Broadcasting ministry is considering expansion of its DD 24-hour news airwaves to around 100 nations, directed at reaching out to the Indian diaspora and table the country’s approach on various national and international issues.
The development will put India in the league of countries including the UK and China whose public broadcasters reach a number of nations.
More than 30 million Indians living abroad are valued not just for their strength in numbers but also for how they retain and represent the best of Indian cultures, ethics and values, irrespective of their locations. The broadcast extension will allow these overseas Indians to engage with the government regarding their issues of concern, to explore opportunities for investment in India and contribute to the country of their origin.
The decision to start broadcasts in a country will depend on factors like the percentage of Indian diaspora in a particular nation, inflow and outflow of foreign direct investments, remittance and tourist arrivals from that country, and financial implications like cost of engaging a local cable for carrying the Indian channel as well as stationing correspondents.
The ministry will also look at whether India has strategic partnerships with that nation, number of visits of the prime minister to that country, and whether the Ministry of External Affairs has joint secretary level officers there.
