Prasar Bharati To Set Up BBC Like International Channel To Project India’s Point Of View

The national public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has floated a tender for a consultant to prepare a plan for launching a channel with an international presence.

This development comes amid the Modi government facing severe criticism in the international media and its supporters calling for the establishment of India’s own ‘BBC.’

The invitation for Expression of Interest (EoI) was floated on 13 May for a consultancy service to come up with a detailed project report “on establishment of DD International.”

“In view of the strategic objective to build a global presence for Doordarshan and to establish an international voice for India, it is envisaged to establish DD International,” the EoI stated.

The objective is to project India’s point of view globally on contemporary issues and to tell the India Story to a global audience by making DD International an authoritative global media source on India through credible, exhaustive and accurate global news service.

“This is something that was something long overdue, to have an international presence for Doordarshan. At this point it will be more news oriented, like BBC World Service but it can later evolve because a lot of international interest in India is cultural,” Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati told The Indian Express.