All India Radio
Corporate brand
UnclaimedIndia's state-owned public radio broadcaster, providing multilingual national, regional and international programming under Prasar Bharati.
Last updated August 21, 2026
Overview
All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani, is India's state-owned public radio broadcaster and the radio division of Prasar Bharati. It is headquartered at Akashvani Bhavan in New Delhi and operates a large domestic and international broadcasting system. The organisation's institutional history began with the Indian State Broadcasting Service, which became a permanent service in 1932 and was renamed All India Radio on 8 June 1936. The name Akashvani was adopted for on-air use in 1956. AIR's principal role is public-service communication across India's linguistic, geographic and socioeconomic diversity. Its output combines national news and current affairs with regional reporting, educational programming, agricultural information, music, drama, literature, sports, cultural features and entertainment. Programming is produced for national audiences as well as for individual states, cities, language communities and special-interest audiences. The network has historically used medium-wave, shortwave and FM transmission, and its services are also distributed through satellite, direct-to-home platforms and online streams. The broadcaster's domestic service is described as comprising hundreds of stations and reaching the overwhelming majority of India's population and geographic area. Its programming is available in numerous Indian languages and dialects, giving AIR an unusually broad linguistic footprint. The network includes general national services, regional stations, FM music and news channels, educational services, classical-music offerings and the popular Vividh Bharati service. Vividh Bharati, launched in 1957, combines film music, entertainment, short plays, comedy and related programming and was developed partly in response to competition from Radio Ceylon. AIR also maintains an External Services Division, which broadcasts to audiences outside India in Indian and foreign languages. These services use shortwave, medium-wave, satellite and digital-radio technologies and present news, commentary, cultural features, documentaries and music. They have historically been used both to communicate India's perspectives internationally and to serve neighbouring countries and overseas Indian communities. Broadcasting in India predates the AIR name. Radio-club transmissions began in 1923, followed by privately operated stations in Mumbai and Kolkata in 1927. After the Indian Broadcasting Company entered liquidation, the government assumed control and established the Indian State Broadcasting Service in 1930. During the Second World War, AIR expanded external broadcasting, beginning with Pashto transmissions in 1939. After independence in 1947, the network became a central instrument of national communication and expanded its regional and language services. AIR also played an important role in the early history of Indian television. Television began under its administration in Delhi in 1959, before being separated into Doordarshan in 1976. In 1997, Prasar Bharati began operating as India's public broadcasting corporation, with All India Radio and Doordarshan as its two principal divisions. AIR continues to combine legacy broadcast infrastructure with FM, digital, satellite and online distribution. Its positioning remains distinct from commercial radio: it is a public broadcaster with responsibilities for universal communication, national information, cultural expression, language representation and emergency or public-service messaging.
History
Radio broadcasting in India began before the AIR name existed. The Bombay Presidency Radio Club and other clubs transmitted programmes from 1923. In 1927, the privately operated Indian Broadcasting Company opened stations in Mumbai and Kolkata. The company later went into liquidation, and the government took over its facilities. On 1 April 1930, the Indian State Broadcasting Service began on an experimental basis; it became permanent in 1932 and was renamed All India Radio on 8 June 1936. The service expanded during the late colonial period as a national information and cultural network. A new Broadcasting House in New Delhi was inaugurated in 1943. External broadcasting began on 1 October 1939 with Pashto programmes intended for audiences in Afghanistan and nearby regions. The external service later broadened its language range and became a continuing channel for international communication. The Dhaka station, opened in 1939, also became an important centre for Bengali broadcasting before the political changes that followed partition. At independence in 1947, AIR's Indian network consisted of six stations: Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Lucknow and Tiruchirappalli. The partition transferred the Lahore, Peshawar and Dhaka stations outside the new Indian network. In the post-independence period, AIR built out regional stations and language services, combining national programming with local news, cultural material and public information. Its output came to include classical and folk music, drama, literature, agriculture, education, sports and entertainment. The name Akashvani entered Indian broadcasting usage in the 1930s and was adopted as AIR's on-air name in 1956. It means, broadly, voice from the sky. The same year, AIR's headquarters became known as Akashvani Bhavan. In 1957, the broadcaster launched Vividh Bharati, a popular entertainment service created partly to compete with Radio Ceylon. The service became associated with Indian film music, short plays, comedy and accessible general entertainment. AIR also administered India's first television broadcasts. Television began in Delhi in 1959 under AIR, but the television operation was separated from the radio network in 1976 and developed as Doordarshan. FM broadcasting began in Chennai in 1977 and expanded more substantially during the 1990s. These developments added new transmission formats while AIR retained medium-wave and shortwave services as major parts of its public-service infrastructure. The Prasar Bharati framework was established to organise India's public broadcasting system, and Prasar Bharati began operating in 1997. AIR became one of its two principal divisions, alongside Doordarshan. In the digital period, the broadcaster has extended access through online streams, satellite distribution, direct-to-home radio and Digital Radio Mondiale transmissions. Its External Services Division continues to broadcast news, commentary, cultural features and music to audiences abroad in Indian and foreign languages. AIR's contemporary identity rests on scale, linguistic range and public-service obligations rather than on a single commercial format. It serves national audiences, state and regional communities, border areas, overseas listeners and Indian diaspora groups. The network's traditional transmitters coexist with FM channels, digital services and internet distribution. Station counts, coverage percentages, language totals and service schedules can change by date and measurement method; such figures should therefore be treated as time-specific rather than permanent characteristics.
- 1997
Prasar Bharati begins operations
[2]AIR became the radio division of India's operating public broadcasting corporation.
- 1977
FM broadcasting begins in Chennai
[1]AIR began FM broadcasting in Chennai, with the format expanding during the 1990s.
- 1976
Doordarshan separated from AIR
[1]The television operation became administratively separate from the radio broadcaster.
- 1959
Television service starts under AIR
[1]Delhi television broadcasting began under AIR's administration.
- 1957
Vividh Bharati launched
[1]AIR introduced its widely recognised entertainment and commercial broadcasting service.
- 1956
Akashvani adopted as on-air name
[1]Akashvani became the broadcaster's official on-air name in Indian broadcasting usage.
- 1947
Post-independence network reorganised
[1]Following independence and partition, AIR's Indian network consisted of six stations and began a major period of national expansion.
- 1943
New Delhi Broadcasting House inaugurated
[1]AIR's new Broadcasting House on Parliament Street in New Delhi opened.
- 1939
External Services Division begins
[1]AIR began overseas broadcasting with a Pashto transmission.
- 1936
All India Radio name adopted
[1]The Indian State Broadcasting Service was renamed All India Radio on 8 June.
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Products and positioning
India's national multilingual public-service radio network
Public radio broadcasting
National and regional radio services
AIR's core service consists of national and regional stations carrying news, current affairs, music, drama, education, agriculture, sports, culture and entertainment. Regional output is adapted to local languages, communities and public-information needs, while national channels provide programming intended for audiences across India.
Entertainment radio · 1957
Vividh Bharati
Launched in 1957, Vividh Bharati is AIR's best-known general entertainment service. It is associated with Hindi film music, short radio plays, comedy, interviews and features about performers and popular culture. The service was created partly to compete with the popularity of Radio Ceylon and remains distributed through medium-wave and FM outlets.
News broadcasting
Multilingual news services
AIR provides news and current-affairs programming in multiple Indian languages and in English. The services include domestic reporting, international news, commentary, press reviews, interviews and public-information material, distributed through national, regional, FM, satellite and online channels.
FM radio
FM Gold and FM Rainbow
FM Gold and FM Rainbow are AIR FM brands combining music, news, features and general-interest programming. Their schedules vary by market, allowing AIR to offer more accessible urban and regional FM formats alongside its medium-wave and shortwave network.
International broadcasting · 1939
External Services Division
The External Services Division broadcasts India's news, commentary, cultural programming, documentaries and music to audiences outside the country. It has used shortwave, medium-wave, satellite and digital-radio technologies and has served neighbouring countries, overseas Indian communities and wider international audiences in Indian and foreign languages.
Digital distribution
DTH and digital radio services
AIR distributes national and regional channels through direct-to-home satellite services, including DD Free Dish, as well as internet streams and Digital Radio Mondiale transmissions. These channels extend access beyond conventional terrestrial reception and support both domestic and international listening.
Brand decisions
1997
Operate within Prasar BharatiStrategyBackground
India created a public broadcasting corporation to organise its principal national broadcast services.
Action taken
AIR became the radio division of Prasar Bharati, alongside Doordarshan as the television division.
Aftermath
AIR continued its public-service radio mission while operating within the Prasar Bharati structure.
1957
Launch Vividh BharatiProduct launchBackground
AIR faced competition for popular music and entertainment audiences, particularly from Radio Ceylon.
Action taken
AIR introduced Vividh Bharati as an accessible entertainment and commercial broadcasting service.
Aftermath
Vividh Bharati became one of the network's most recognisable services, especially through its film-music and entertainment programming.
1936
Adopt a national public-broadcasting identityStrategyBackground
The government was developing a permanent broadcasting system capable of serving India's broad geographic and linguistic population.
Action taken
The Indian State Broadcasting Service was renamed All India Radio and developed as a nationwide public broadcaster.
Aftermath
The new identity became the foundation for AIR's later national, regional and international services.
Recent events
- 1997
Prasar Bharati begins operating[2]
M&A
Prasar Bharati commenced operations as India's public broadcasting corporation, with AIR as its radio division.
- 1976
Doordarshan separated from AIR[1]
Other
India's television service was administratively separated from the radio broadcaster and developed as Doordarshan.
- 1959
Television broadcasting begins under AIR[1]
Product launch
Delhi television broadcasting began under AIR, establishing the foundation for the later Doordarshan service.
- 1957
Vividh Bharati service launched[1]
Product launch · Campaign
AIR introduced Vividh Bharati, a broad entertainment and commercial broadcasting service featuring film music, drama, comedy and related programmes.
- 1939
AIR begins external broadcasting in Pashto[1]
Product launch · Other
The External Service began with Pashto programming directed toward Afghanistan and neighbouring areas during the Second World War.
- 1936
Indian State Broadcasting Service renamed All India Radio[1]
Other
The government broadcasting service was reorganised and formally adopted the All India Radio name.
Sources2 sources
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