The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting organised a National Conference with the Secretaries of Information and Public Relations Departments of States and Union Territories in New Delhi today. The conference brought together senior officials from the Centre and States to deliberate on key initiatives and strengthen coordination in the fields of information, broadcasting, media and the creative economy.

Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Shri Chanchal Kumar, chaired the Conference and interacted with the participating State/UT officials during the deliberations. Referring to the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, under which India’s soft power and creative economy have been placed among the Saptdhara, the seven streams of national progress, the Secretary underlined the need for stronger and more structured cooperation between the Centre and States to harness India’s vast creative potential and strengthen public communication. He said that the creative economy, encompassing culture, creativity and commerce, has the potential to generate employment, attract investment and enhance India’s global influence.

Highlighting the diverse strengths of States and Union Territories, the Secretary said that there cannot be a single model for the growth of the creative economy. He emphasised that the cultural strengths, institutional capabilities and regional talent of every State and Union Territory must be leveraged to realise its creative potential.

He also highlighted areas for enhanced Centre-State collaboration, including infrastructure, ease of doing business, capacity building, regional content and creative ecosystems. National platforms such as WAVES 2027, WAVES Bazaar, WaveX and the Create in India Challenges could provide creators and start-ups from across the country greater access to markets, investors, technology and global partnerships.

The participating State and UT officials shared their experiences and concerns regarding the implementation of various initiatives and discussed ways to further strengthen coordination and engagement with the Ministry. The need for capacity building at the State level was also highlighted, with States seeking greater support from the Ministry through enhanced communication, engagement and regular conferences. The officials also expressed their willingness to collaborate more closely with the Ministry and actively participate in strengthening Orange Economy.

During the Conference, discussions were held on several important subjects, including implementation of the Right of Way (RoW) mechanism for cable operators by State Governments; the roadmap for WAVES 2027; strengthening of the WAVES Bazaar and market access; expansion of Public Service Broadcasting infrastructure; promotion of user-generated creative content on Waves OTT platform; two-way integration of the Indian Cine Hub (ICH) and Film Facilitation Office (FFO) portals; and adoption of the single-window ICH portal for film shooting and live events permissions.

The Conference also deliberated on strengthening Public Service Broadcasting through content co-production, State-specific programming and enhanced public outreach; promotion of the live events sector; capacity building of DIPR officers through IIMC training facilities; transition to the digital framework under the Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023 through the Press Sewa Portal; and strengthening of libraries through the supply of books to State Governments under the Samagra Shiksha framework.

The Conference also deliberated on a range of issues relating to Public Service Broadcasting, the live events sector, capacity building of DIPR officers, digital transformation in the media & publication sector and public outreach initiatives.

The Secretary also called for closer coordination between PIB Regional Offices, State Information and Public Relations Departments, and regional units of Doordarshan and Akashvani for State-specific content and outreach. He reiterated that the Ministry remains open to new ideas, State-led initiatives and partnership models to strengthen the creative economy and improve public communication.

The Conference saw participation from senior officials of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, along with I&PR Secretaries and representatives from States and Union Territories across the country, reflecting close coordination and shared commitment between the Centre and the States.

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Mahesh Kumar/ Vivek Vishwash/Aparajita Priyadarshini