New Delhi: The Union government has intensified efforts to strengthen the regional representation of South Indian languages on DD Free Dish, the country’s free-to-air Direct-To-Home (DTH) platform operated by Prasar Bharati. Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. L. Murugan, shared this development in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
DD Free Dish, which covers even the remotest corners of the country, has seen a surge in its reach—from 33 million households in 2018 to approximately 49 million as of 2024, according to industry estimates. This steady growth in audience base has prompted the government to take proactive steps to ensure wider linguistic inclusivity on the platform.
Boosting South Indian Language Content
To enhance regional diversity, slots were specially reserved for South Indian language channels during the 2025 e-auctions of DD Free Dish. Additionally, eligibility norms were simplified to attract greater participation from private broadcasters in the southern region.
As a result of these initiatives, three private channels—TV9 Telugu, Aastha Kannada, and Aastha Telugu—were onboarded on DD Free Dish starting April 1, 2025. Alongside, Doordarshan’s own regional channels such as DD Tamil, DD Saptagiri (Telugu), DD Chandana (Kannada), DD Yadagiri (Telugu), and DD Malayalam have also been added to the platform.
“These channels are undergoing technological upgrades and enhanced promotion to increase visibility and audience engagement,” the Minister stated. In addition, 27 educational channels are currently broadcasting content in various South Indian languages, contributing to regional language proliferation and public education.
Infrastructure Modernisation Underway
Dr. Murugan also informed the House about the government’s ongoing investments to modernise Akashvani (All India Radio) and Doordarshan Kendras (DDKs) under the Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND) scheme. The scheme, approved for the 2021–26 period with an outlay of ₹2,539.61 crore, is aimed at strengthening public broadcasting across all states.
Specific projects have been sanctioned for Bihar, including ₹64.56 crore for Akashvani Kendras and ₹4.31 crore for Doordarshan Kendras, as part of the nationwide upgrade.
Expanding Public Service Outreach
DD Free Dish plays a key role in disseminating government flagship schemes and public awareness campaigns through national and regional channels. With its expansive reach and continued expansion of linguistic offerings, the platform is emerging as a vital tool for inclusive information access and public communication.
