Why in news?
India observed National Broadcasting Day on 23 July 2025, marking the anniversary of the first radio broadcast from the Bombay Station of the Indian Broadcasting Company on 23 July 1927. The day prompts reflection on the journey of radio in India.
Humble beginnings
- Radio in India began with amateur clubs in Calcutta (1923) and Madras (1924) before state intervention.
- On 23 July 1927 the Bombay station aired the country’s first formal broadcast under the privately run Indian Broadcasting Company.
Colonial experiments and failures
- The Indian Broadcasting Company struggled financially and was taken over by the British government in 1930, becoming the Indian State Broadcasting Service (ISBS).
- In 1936 the service was renamed All India Radio (AIR) and placed under the Department of Labour and Industries.
Post‑independence milestones
- Akashvani (the Sanskrit term meaning “voice from the sky”) became AIR’s official name in 1956.
- The popular entertainment channel Vividh Bharati was launched in 1957.
- At Independence, AIR had only six stations covering 2.5% of India’s area and 11% of its population; the network has since expanded nationwide.
AIR’s role in nation‑building
- Radio was instrumental in literacy drives, health campaigns and agricultural extension, especially in rural India.
- During the freedom struggle AIR (and clandestine broadcasts) countered colonial propaganda and fostered national unity.
- The medium preserved cultural heritage through classical music, folk songs and informative programmes.
External services and outreach
- External broadcasting began in 1939 with programmes in Pashto and Afghan languages to counter Axis propaganda.
- Today the External Services Division broadcasts in 11 Indian and 16 foreign languages, reaching audiences in more than 100 countries.
From humble beginnings to a nation‑building institution, radio has been a powerful medium of communication in India. As technology evolves, its legacy continues through community radio and digital platforms.