Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati is looking to increase its global presence by airing international programmes on Doordarshan India and its digital app NewsOnAir, and making itself available in more countries, Hindustan Times reported on Sunday.

At present, DD India is available in Canada, the United States and Mauritius. The information and broadcasting ministry has signed agreements with the Korean Broadcasting Corporation and Bangladesh TV to beam DD India in South Korea and Bangladesh. In return, BTV World, a channel owned by Bangladesh TV, and KBS World, an English language channel run by the South Korean government, will be available on Doordarshan. The channel is also mulling over having correspondents across the globe to bring international news to an Indian audience and present news from India.

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“As part of our international outreach, a global voice for India will be our priority,” said Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer Shashi Shekhar Vempanti. “Our effort will be to strengthen DD India with a strong content line up with a global outlook. Parallelly, we will strengthen the AIR world service. And all of this will come together on Prasar Bharati’s digital platform, which has been made mobile-accessible on the Android and iOS platforms through the NewsOnAir app.”

The proposal was mooted by a panel headed by Prasar Bharati Chairperson A Surya Prakash in 2017. The idea was to reach an English-speaking audience apart from the Indian diaspora. The global telecast will offer a counter-narrative to what is presented in international media, according to the news report.

Unidentified Prasar Bharati officials said work was under way to improve the programme content to be made available to the global audience. Efforts are also being made to bolster human resource development for both Doordarshan and All India Radio.

Prasar Bharati is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and runs Doordarshan and All India Radio.