How India's state broadcaster shaped a nation through television and controversial propaganda

Countries & Cities · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Born as a modest experimental project in 1959, Doordarshan evolved into a massive state-owned network that defined the Indian television experience. From hosting the world's most-watched entertainment programs to facing accusations of government bias, this broadcaster remains a central, if complicated, pillar of India's cultural and political landscape.

Launched on 15 September 1959, Doordarshan began as a small-scale experiment in Delhi. It remained a modest operation for years, only separating from All India Radio in 1976. By 1982, it had transformed into a national broadcaster, marking its arrival with the live airing of the Prime Minister's Independence Day address and the Asian Games in Delhi, both broadcast in colour. This era solidified its role as the primary, and for a long time sole, source of television for the Indian public.

As the network expanded, its programming choices became a subject of intense scrutiny. Scholars like Mitra have argued that during the 1980s, the broadcaster promoted a homogenous national identity, prioritizing North Indian, Hindi-speaking, and Hindu cultural narratives through epics like Ramayan and Mahabharat. Critics have frequently accused the network of functioning as a government mouthpiece, citing instances such as the dissemination of state-sanctioned narratives during the 1984 Operation Blue Star and the censorship of a documentary about opposition leader Jayaprakash Narayan in 2004.

Despite these controversies, Doordarshan maintains a vast reach. In 2017, it operated nearly 1,400 transmitters and 46 studios. During the 2020 pandemic, it saw a massive resurgence in popularity; its re-broadcast of the classic Ramayan series set a global record, reaching over 285 million viewers. Today, the network manages 44 channels, including high-definition feeds, and continues to serve as a critical tool for public messaging, even as it struggles to compete with the private television industry that emerged in the early 1990s.

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