Shri Amit Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that one of the challenges for the public broadcaster Doordarshan is technology upgradation and improving access. He said efforts should be made to take television to every household, like electricity. Another, challenge for Doordarshan is diversity, he said. People are today demanding local content, and India’s rich diversity has to be celebrated and it should be reflected in the content of programmes, he said. Utilization of spectrum and making use of it properly is also crucial, the Secretary said. It must be judiciously used to spread education, in a vast country like ours, he added.

Shri Khare said that 2018 has been very satisfying for Prasar Bharati with the launch of new channel ‘Aruna Prabha’ in Arunachal Pradesh. The ‘Kisan’ channel meant for farmers, has been a success, he said.

The two day Conclave is being organised by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Prasar Bharati to deliberate upon the challenges and opportunities in the broadcasting sector.  Several international delegates from Bangladesh, Malaysia and Singapore are participating in the Conclave.

Shri A. Surya Prakash, CEO, Prasar Bharati said that as a public broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, aims to stay ahead of the aspiration and consumption and technology of the citizens of India. Prasar Bharti is also striving to constantly upgrade technology and dish out quality programmes. Inaugurating the 1^st India International Broadcasting Conclave here today, he said at one time broadcast meant radio and television, but today new age platforms have brought  about a paradigm shift in the way broadcasting is defined. In 2018, the Indian media and entertainment sector grew at 13.4% more than the nominal GDP and is expected to cross $ 33.6 billion by 2021, growing at an annual rate of 11.6%. He said according to the FICCI Frames Report, called ‘A billion screens of Opportunity’, while TV  has retained its position, the growth is expected to come from digital in 2019 overtaking the film entertainment sector. Digital consumption will grow and monetization avenues will see great innovation to cater to the new Indian customer segments, he said. The media entertainment and technology industry is highly dynamic, raising the stakes for content platforms. There is ample room to build new content and create ideas that reflect the societal need for media consumption, he said.  Shri Surya Prakash felt that there is a need to explore the broadcast policy from the view point of new platforms that are gaining popularity in India. He said in this age of convergence, content and delivery, both are crucial.

Smt. Supriya Sahu, DG, Doordarshan, said that broadcasting, a sunshine industry has witnessed exponential growth, with technology changing rapidly. Doordarshan too has been reinventing itself as a public broadcaster and striving to make news accessible to all.

Shri C.B.S. Maurya, Engineer in Chief, Doordarshan, Shri Mayank Agarwal, DG, Doordarshan (News), Shri Rajeev Singh, Member (Finance), Prasar Bharati, were also present.

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