View source for All India Radio

{{Short description|National public radio broadcaster of India}}
{{hatnote group|
{{for|the electronic band|All India Radio (band)}}
{{redirect|Akashavani|the 2021 film|Aakashavaani}} }}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2013}}
{{Infobox radio network
| name = Akashvani
| logo = Akhashvani logo.png
| image = 
| image_size = 260px
| caption = 
| type = [[Government organisation]]
| branding = 
| airdate = {{start date|1936|6|8}}
| country = [[India]]
| area = Nationwide
| available = National<br />International
| founded = 
| founder = [[Government of India]]
| slogan = 
| motto = ''Bahujanahitāya Bahujanasukhāya''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Profile/Mission|title=Mission of AIR|website=allindiaradio.gov.in|access-date=4 September 2021|archive-date=24 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224193129/http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Profile/Mission%20|url-status=live}}</ref><br/><small>''For the benefit of many people and the happiness of many people''</small>
| owner = [[Prasar Bharati]]
| parent = [[Government of India]]
| key_people = Rajeev Kumar Jain, Director General
| launch_date = {{start date and age|1936|6|8|df=yes}}
| dissolved = 
| former_names = 
| callsigns = 
| callsign_meaning = 
| former_callsigns = 
| affiliation = 
| affiliates = 
| groups = 
| former_affiliations = 
| headquarters = Akashvani Bhavan<br>[[Sansad Marg]], [[New Delhi]]
| webcast = [https://akashvani.gov.in/radio/live.php Akashvani Live Radio]
| website = [http://allindiaradio.gov.in All India Radio], [http://www.newsonair.gov.in/ News on AIR]
| footnotes = 
}}
'''All India Radio''' ('''AIR'''), also known as '''Akashvani''' ({{lit|1=Voice from the sky|2=Oracle|translit=Ākāśavāṇī}}), is India's [[state-owned]] [[public broadcasting|public]] [[radio broadcaster]]. Founded in 1936,<ref name=Milestones>{{cite web |url=http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Profile/Milestones |title=Milestones of AIR (official website) |publisher=All India Radio |access-date=13 January 2013 |archive-date=24 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224193127/http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Profile/Milestones%20 |url-status=live }}</ref> it operates under the [[Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India)|Ministry of Information and Broadcasting]] and is one of the two divisions of [[Prasar Bharati]].<ref>[https://prasarbharati.gov.in/homepage-air/ Home page: All India Radio] ''prasarbharati.gov.in''. Retrieved 4 September 2021</ref> Headquartered at the ''Akashvani Bhavan'' in New Delhi, it houses the Drama Section, FM Section, and National Service. It also serves as the home of the Indian television station Doordarshan Kendra.

All India Radio is the largest radio network in the world in terms of the number of languages broadcast, the socioeconomic diversity it serves, and the scale of its broadcasting organisation. AIR's domestic service includes 420 stations nationwide, covering nearly 92% of India's geographic area and 99.19% of its population, with programming available in 23 languages and 179 dialects.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AIR Home |url=http://prasarbharati.gov.in/AIR/index.php |access-date=2020-02-28 |website=prasarbharati.gov.in |archive-date=17 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617235712/http://prasarbharati.gov.in/AIR/index.php |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Stamp of India - 1961 - Colnect 141804 - Silver Jubilee All India Radio - Radio Masts and Emblem.jpeg|thumb|A stamp commemorating Akashvani's silver jubilee]]

==History==

=== Akashvani ===
When the Indian State Broadcasting Service (ISBS) was renamed to All India Radio, [[Rabindranath Tagore]] rechristened it Akashvani, ''the voice that comes over from the skies'', in a poem penned for the inauguration of [[Kolkata]]'s shortwave service.<ref>{{cite news |title=Riding the waves, a shared history |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/riding-the-waves-a-shared-history/ |newspaper=[[Indian Express]] |archive-date=1 October 2021 |access-date=1 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001133136/https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/riding-the-waves-a-shared-history/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Chandrika Kaul |url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137445964_4 |title='Invisible Empire Tie': Broadcasting and the British Raj in the Interwar Years |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-137-44596-4 |pages=123–171 |doi=10.1057/9781137445964_4 |archive-date=12 February 2023 |access-date=1 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230212053056/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137445964_4 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The term Akashvani was also used in the context of radio by M. V. Gopalaswami in 1936 when he established India's first private radio station at his residence, "Vittal Vihar," located about 200 yards from the current All India Radio station in [[Mysore]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Mysore Akashavani is now 75 years old |url=http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/mysore-akashavani-is-now-75-years-old/408172/ |newspaper=[[Business Standard]] |archive-date=13 October 2012 |access-date=25 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013185300/http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/mysore-akashavani-is-now-75-years-old/408172/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1956, ''Akashvani'' was adopted as All India Radio's on-air name. With its literal meaning in [[Sanskrit]] as "voice from the sky," the name was considered highly fitting for a broadcaster. The suggestion to use ''Akashvani'' was given to Gopalaswami by the Telugu/Kannada scholar [[Rallapalli Ananta Krishna Sharma]], who was working as a Telugu pandit in Mysore Maharaja College and later went onto tune [[Annamacharya]]'s kritis as well.

=== During the British Raj ===
Broadcasting commenced in June 1923 during the [[British Raj]] with programmes by the [[Bombay Presidency Radio Club]] and other radio clubs. According to an agreement on 23 July 1927, the private Indian Broadcasting Company Ltd (IBC) was authorised to operate two radio stations: the [[Mumbai]] station, which began on 23 July 1927, and the [[Kolkata]] station, which followed suit on 26 August 1927. The organisation went into liquidation on 1 March 1930. The government took over broadcasting facilities and launched the Indian State Broadcasting Service (ISBS) on 1 April 1930, initially on an experimental basis for two years. It became a permanent service in May 1932 and was later renamed All India Radio on 8 June 1936.<ref name="Milestones" /> The building was contracted by [[Sobha Singh (builder)|Sir Sobha Singh]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LlnrAAAAMAAJ&q=%22all+india+radio%22+%22sir+sobha+singh%22 |title=Roopa-lekhā |date=1968 |publisher=All-India Fine Arts and Crafts Society |language=en |archive-date=11 December 2024 |access-date=28 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211025633/https://books.google.com/books?id=LlnrAAAAMAAJ&q=%22all+india+radio%22+%22sir+sobha+singh%22 |url-status=live }}</ref>[[File:Akashvani Bhavan in New Delhi.jpg|right|thumb|AIR headquarters in [[New Delhi]]|alt=Distant photo of building complex with tower]][[File:Akashvani Bhawan, Parliament Street.jpg|thumb|Old Akashvani Bhawan at [[Sansad Marg]]]]
On 1 October 1939, the External Service began with a broadcast in [[Pashto]]. It was intended to counter radio [[propaganda]] from Germany directed at [[Afghanistan]], [[Iran]], and Arab nations. The [[Dhaka]] station in Eastern India, in what is now [[Bangladesh]], opened in 1939. This station catered to and nurtured the pioneers of Bengali intellectuals. The foremost among them, [[Nurul Momen|Natyaguru Nurul Momen]], became the trailblazer of the talk show in 1939. He wrote and directed the first modern radio play for this station in 1942.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

In December 1940, the Standing Finance Committee sanctioned a sum of [[Indian rupee|Rupees]] 9,30,000 for the establishment of a new headquarters of the All India Radio in Delhi.<ref>{{cite news |title=New Broadcasting House in Delhi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M80-AAAAIBAJ&dq=%E2%80%9CAll+India+radio%E2%80%9D+headquarters&pg=PA6 |access-date=2 May 2024 |publisher=The Indian Express |date=18 December 1940}}</ref> The new “Broadcasting House” of AIR at [[Sansad Marg|Parliament Street]] in New Delhi was inaugurated in February 1943.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Baruah |first1=UL |title=This is All India Radio |date=2017 |publisher=Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting |location=New Delhi |isbn=9788123025780 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ALA8DwAAQBAJ&dq=%E2%80%9CAll+India+Radio%E2%80%9D%2C+headquarters&pg=PT16 |access-date=2 May 2024}}</ref> In 1956, All India Radio (AIR) was officially renamed ''Akashvani'', and its headquarters were renamed ''Akashvani Bhawan''.<ref>{{cite web |title=1956 : AIR becomes Akashvani |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/india-at-75-epochal-moments-1956-voice-from-the-sky-air-becomes-akashvani/article65721527.ece |website=Frontline |date=11 August 2022 |publisher=The Hindu Group |access-date=2 May 2024 |archive-date=2 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502063229/https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/india-at-75-epochal-moments-1956-voice-from-the-sky-air-becomes-akashvani/article65721527.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== After Independence ===
When India became independent in 1947, the All India Radio network consisted of only six stations: [[Delhi]], [[Mumbai|Bombay]], [[Kolkata|Calcutta]], [[Chennai|Madras]], [[Lucknow]], and [[Tiruchirappalli]]. The three radio stations in [[Lahore]], [[Peshawar]], and [[Dhaka]] remained in what eventually became Pakistan after the partition. At that time, there were approximately 250,000 radio sets in India.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Varshney |first=Akanksha |date=2015-08-25 |title=Journey Of Radio In India |url=https://www.vskills.in/certification/blog/journey-of-radio-in-india/ |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=Vskills Blog |language=en-US |archive-date=25 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240925172025/https://www.vskills.in/certification/blog/journey-of-radio-in-india/ |url-status=live }}{{better source needed|date=September 2024}}</ref>

In August 1947, All India Radio hired its first female newsreader, [[Saeeda Bano]], who read the news in [[Urdu]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Najib |first=Rihan |title=To end the news, the headlines again: The life and times of Saeeda Bano |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/read/to-end-the-news-the-headlines-again-the-life-and-times-of-saeeda-bano/article33160779.ece |access-date=2021-03-04 |website=@businessline |date=23 November 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

On 3 October 1957, the [[Vividh Bharati]] service was launched by All India Radio to compete with [[Radio Ceylon]]. The total capital invested by the All India Radio so far on the experimental Television service inaugurated on 5 September 1959 is about Rs. 2.14 lakhs, eight commercial licenses and four domestic licenses for television receiver sets have so far been issued by the Posts and Telegraphs Department.<ref>https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/1783/1/lsd_02_09_19-11-1959.pdf page 27</ref> Television broadcasting commenced in Delhi in 1959 under the aegis of AIR, but was split off from the radio network as ''[[Doordarshan]]'' on 1 April 1976.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://allindiaradio.org/Misc/AIR-Manual1/Chapter1.pdf |title=Chapter 1: History of All India Radio |journal=AIR Manual |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100917064450/http://allindiaradio.org/Misc/AIR-Manual1/Chapter1.pdf |archive-date=17 September 2010 }}</ref> FM broadcasting began on 23 July 1977 in [[Chennai]], and expanded during the 1990s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allindiaradio.org/milestone.html |title=Milestones of AIR |publisher=All India Radio |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612212622/http://allindiaradio.org/milestone.html |archive-date=12 June 2010 }}</ref>

[[Deccan Radio (Nizam Radio 1932)]], the first radio station in the princely [[Hyderabad State]] (now [[Hyderabad]]), went live on 3 February 1935. It was launched by [[Mir Osman Ali Khan]], the seventh [[Nizam]] of Hyderabad, boasting of a transmitting power of 200 [[Watt]]s. On 1 April 1950, after [[Annexation of Hyderabad|Operation Polo]], Deccan Radio was taken over by the Indian Government, and in 1956, it was merged with All India Radio. Thereafter, it has been known as AIR-Hyderabad (100&nbsp;kW).<ref name="Wavescan2">{{cite web|title=The Long and Interesting Story of All India Radio, Hyderabad–Part 2|url=http://yimber-gaviria.blogspot.com/2010/08/wavescan-nws78-dx-program.html|work=Wavescan-NWS78|date=15 August 2010|access-date=21 September 2018|archive-date=21 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921153048/http://yimber-gaviria.blogspot.com/2010/08/wavescan-nws78-dx-program.html|url-status=live}}</ref>[[File:Radio Television License India - 1976.pdf|thumb|Radio Television license]]

=={{anchor|Broadcasting services}}Domestic services==
AIR offers a variety of services in multiple languages, each catering to different regions across India.

===Vividh Bharati===
[[Vividh Bharati]], launched in 1957, is one of the most well-known services of All India Radio. Its name roughly translates to "Diverse Indian" and is also referred to as the Commercial Broadcasting Service (CBS). Commercially, it is the most accessible AIR network, particularly popular in [[Mumbai]] and other large cities. Vividh Bharati offers a wide range of programs, including news, film music, short plays, music, and comedy. It operates on various [[Medium wave|mediumwave]] and [[FM broadcasting|FM]] frequencies in each city.

Some programmes broadcast on Vividh Bharati are:
* ''[[Hawa Mahal (radio program)|Hawa-mahal]]'': [[Radio drama]] based on novels and plays
* ''Santogen ki mehfil'': Comedy
* ''Aaj ke fankar'': Description of life and works of a film artist
* ''Chhayageet'': Songs of announcer's choice with impeccable scripting

===Central Sales Unit===
The Central Sales Unit (CSU), located in Mumbai, handles the commercial affairs of AIR.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Get Apps &#124; Prasar Bharati|url= http://prasarbharati.gov.in/AIRCSUContact.php|access-date= 31 December 2020|archive-date= 3 December 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201203231104/http://prasarbharati.gov.in/AIRCSUContact.php|url-status= live}}</ref>

===Other services===
* Primary Channel<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Services/Pages/Primary%20Channel%20Services.aspx|title=Primary Channel Services|website=allindiaradio.gov.in|access-date=2018-07-30|archive-date=13 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313143425/http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Services/Pages/Primary%20Channel%20Services.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>
* National Channel<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Services/National+Channel 
 |title=National Channel 
 |archive-date=1 October 2011
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001081859/http://www.allindiaradio.org/national.html
 |url-status=dead
 |access-date=2 May 2014
}}
</ref>

==={{anchor|Home Service}}Regional services===
The headquarters of the Regional Deputy Directors General are located in Delhi and Chandigarh (NR), Lucknow and Bhopal (CR), Guwahati (NER), Kolkata (ER), Mumbai and Ahmedabad (WR), and Chennai and Bangalore (SR).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://india.gov.in/knowindia/radio.php |title=All India Radio |access-date=15 October 2011 |publisher=Know India |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903183957/http://india.gov.in/knowindia/radio.php |archive-date=3 September 2011 }}</ref> All frequencies are in kHz, unless otherwise specified. Most of the channels are also available online.
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|+ Northern regional service
! style="width:20%;"|City !! style="width:10%;"|Frequency !! style="width:20%;"|City !! style="width:10%;"|Frequency!! style="width:20%;"|City !! style="width:10%;"|Frequency
|-
| Agra || 1530 || Ajmer || 603 || Allahabad || 1026
|-
| Almora || 999 || Barmer || 1458 || Bikaner || 1395
|-
| Chairhara (Budgam)|| 1485 || Delhi A|| 819 || Delhi B || 666
|-
| Delhi C (''[[Vividh Bharti]]'')|| 1368 || Delhi D (''Yuv-vani'') || 1017 || Delhi (National Channel) || 1215
|-
| Diskit || 1602 || Faizabad || 1485 || Gorakhpur || 909

|-
| Jaipur A || 1476 || Jalandhar A ||873 || Jalandhar B || 702
|-
| Jammu A || 990 || Jodhpur A || 531 || Kalpa (Kinnaur) || 1584
|-
| Kargil A || 684 || Kargil B || 1584 || Khalsi || 1485
|-
| Kota || 1413 || Kupwara || 1350 || Leh || 1053
|-
| Lucknow A || 747 || Lucknow C || 1278 ||Mathura || 1584
|-
| Najibabad || 954 || Naushera || 1089 || Nyoma || 1485
|-
| Padam || 1584 || Pauri || 1602 || Pithoragarh || 1602
|-
| Rampur || 891 || Rohtak || FM 103.5&nbsp;MHz ||Shimla || 774
|-
| Budgam|| 1116 || Budgam A|| 1224 || Srinagar C|| 918
|-
| Tiesuru || 1602 || Udaipur || 1125 || Uttarkashi || 1602
|-
| Varanasi A || 1242 || Sawai Madhopur || FM 101.5&nbsp;MHz || Raebareli ||FM 102.8&nbsp;MHz
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|+ Northeast regional service
! style="width:40%;"|City !! style="width:10%;"|Frequency !! style="width:40%;"|City !! style="width:10%;"|Frequency
|-
| Agartala || 1269 || Guwahati A || 729
|-
| Shillong || 864 (100&nbsp;kW; Primary Channel; 1966–present), 4970 (50&nbsp;kW; NE Service; 1990-2019; decommissioned<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nair |first=Sobhana K. |date=2019-06-06 |title=AIR may have to power off short wave transmissions |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/air-may-have-to-power-off-short-wave-transmissions/article27584333.ece |access-date=2025-10-05 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dutta |first=Amrita Nayak |date=2019-06-07 |title=Prasar Bharati wants to switch off AIR short-wave service, India's voice around the world |url=https://theprint.in/india/prasar-bharati-wants-to-switch-off-air-short-wave-service-indias-voice-around-the-world/246696/ |access-date=2025-10-05 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gupta |first=Alokesh |date=2019-09-04 |title=R A D I O A C T I V I T Y: All India Radio Kurseong,Port Blair,Mumbai & Shillong shortwave transmitters decommissioned |url=https://alokeshgupta.blogspot.com/2019/09/all-india-radio-kurseong-port-blair.html |access-date=2025-10-05 |website=R A D I O A C T I V I T Y}}</ref>), 7315 (50&nbsp;kW; NE Service; 2000s/2010s-2019; decommissioned), FM 100.1&nbsp;MHz (100W; NE Service; 2012–present), FM 103.6&nbsp;MHz (10&nbsp;kW; Primary Channel: 2023-2025; FM Jong Phi*: 2010-2023,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-07 |title=OFF AIR: Popular FM Jongphi station axed after 13 years {{!}} Highland Post |url=https://highlandpost.com/off-air-popular-fm-jongphi-station-axed-after-13-years/ |access-date=2025-10-05 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/reel/cvnhdbttyvk/ |access-date=2025-10-05 |website=www.instagram.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/cvpzbfxruqn/ |access-date=2025-10-05 |website=www.instagram.com}}</ref> 2025–present<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-17 |title=Mapping forward on Geospatial intelligence? - The Shillong Times |url=https://theshillongtimes.com/2025/05/17/mapping-forward-on-geospatial-intelligence/ |access-date=2025-10-05 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=AIR |url=https://qsl.net/vu2jos/air/loc.htm |access-date=2025-10-05 |website=qsl.net}}</ref>) || Imphal || 882
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Prior to 2 October 2010, it is formerly known as Akashvani FM Rainbow Shillong, which relays from Akashvani FM Rainbow Delhi. Since that date, it broadcasts its own programmes.
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|+ Eastern regional service
! style="width:40%;"|City !! style="width:10%;"|Frequency !! style="width:40%;"|City !! style="width:10%;"|Frequency
|-
| Bhagalpur || 1458, 1206 || Chinsurah ((Akashvani Maitree), 1 MegaWatt Transmitter Capacity) || 594 & 1134 
|-
| Cuttack A || 972 || Darbhanga || 1296
|-
| Jamshedpur || 1584 || Gitanjali (Kolkata A)(200 KW Transmitter Capacity) || 657 
|-
| Sanchayita (Kolkata B)(100 KW Transmitter Capacity) || 1008  || Kolkata C (''Vividh Bharati'') || 1323&nbsp;kHz Medium Wave as well as 101.8&nbsp;MHZ&nbsp;FM
|-
| Patna A || 621 || Ranchi A || 549
|-
| Muzaffarpur A|| FM 100.1&nbsp;MHz || Muzaffarpur B || FM 106.4&nbsp;MHz
|-
| Kolkata (FM Rainbow) (20 KW Transmitter Capacity)|| FM 107.0&nbsp;MHz || Kolkata (FM Gold)(20 KW Transmitter Capacity)|| FM 100.2&nbsp;MHz  
|-
|Kurseong
|1440&nbsp;kHz as well as FM 102.3 MHZ (5 KW Transmitter Capacity)
|Siliguri
|711&nbsp;kHz (200 KW DRM Transmitter Capacity)
|-
|Santiniketan (Bolpur)
|FM 103.1&nbsp;MHz (3 KW Transmitter Capacity)
|Murshidabad (6 KW Transmitter Capacity)
|FM 102.2&nbsp;MHz
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|+ Western regional service
! style="width:40%;"|City !! style="width:10%;"|Frequency !! style="width:40%;"|City !! style="width:10%;"|Frequency
|-
| Ahmedabad A || 846 || Aurangabad || 1521
|-
| Bhopal A || 1593 || Chhindwara || FM 102.2&nbsp;MHz
|-
| Chhatarpur || 675 || Gwalior || 1386
|-
| Indore A || 648 || Jabalpur A || 801 
|-
| Mumbai A || 1044 || Mumbai B (''Asmita Marathi'') || 558
|-
| Mumbai C (''[[Vividh Bharati]]'') || 1188 || Nagpur A || 585
|-
| Nagpur B (National Channel, 1 MW) || 1566 || Panaji A || 1287
|-
| Panaji B (''Vividh Bharati'') || 828 || Pune A || 792
|-
| Rajkot A || 810 || Ratnagiri || 1143
|-
| Solapur || 1602 || Sangli || 1251
|-
| Parbhani A || FM 102.0&nbsp;MHz
|Jabalpur Vividh Bharati
|102.9
|-
| Mysore || FM 100.6&nbsp;MHz
|Jalgaon
|963
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|+ Southern regional service
! style="width:40%;"|City !! style="width:10%;"|Frequency !! style="width:40%;"|City !! style="width:10%;"|Frequency
|-
| Bangalore || 612&nbsp;kHz || Bengaluru (Vividha Bharati) || 102.9&nbsp;MHz
|-
| Bangalore (Rainbow FM) || 101.3&nbsp;MHz || Bhadravati || 675&nbsp;kHz
|-
| Dharwad || 765&nbsp;kHz || Dharwad FM ||103.0&nbsp;MHz
|-
| Hassan || 1107 kHZ || Kalburagi || 1107&nbsp;kHz 
|- 
| Mangaluru || 1089&nbsp;kHz || Mangalore FM || 100.3&nbsp;MHz
|-
| Madikeri FM || 103.1&nbsp;MHz || Sringeri FM ||101&nbsp;MHz
|-
|Hyderabad || 738&nbsp;kHz || Hyderabad (FM Rainbow) || 101.9&nbsp;MHz
|-
|Hyderabad (Vivida Bharati) || 102.8&nbsp;MHz || Warangal || 103.5&nbsp;MHz 
|-
|Vijayawada || 103.4&nbsp;MHz
|}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://prasarbharati.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/AR-Prasar-Bharati-english-2018-19-english.pdf|title=Annual Report 2018-2019, page 193|access-date=21 March 2021|archive-date=6 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210706063404/https://prasarbharati.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/AR-Prasar-Bharati-english-2018-19-english.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

==External services==
{{More citations needed|date=August 2024}}
The external services of All India Radio are broadcast in 27 languages to countries outside India via high-power shortwave radio transmissions.<ref name="t766">{{cite web | title=Wayback Machine | website=www.eoiukraine.gov.in | url=https://www.eoiukraine.gov.in/pdf/AIR.pdf | access-date=6 September 2025}}</ref> Mediumwave is also used to reach neighboring countries. In addition to language-specific broadcasts targeted at particular countries, there is a General Overseas Service that broadcasts in English, offering 8¼ hours of programming daily aimed at a general international audience.

The external broadcasts began on 1 October 1939, initiated by the British government to counter Nazi propaganda directed at the Afghan people. Initially, the broadcasts were in [[Pashto]], targeting Afghanistan and the [[North-West Frontier Province]]. Over time, broadcasts expanded to include languages such as [[Dari]], [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Arabic]], English, Burmese, Japanese, Chinese, Malay, and French. Currently, the external services broadcast in 16 foreign languages and 11 Indian languages, with a total program output of 70¼ hours per day on medium and shortwave frequencies.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ External service transmitter sites
! Location!! Number of transmitters !! kW !! Frequency !! DRM !
|-
| Aligarh (HPT)|| 4 || 250 || ||
|-
| Bengaluru (SPT)|| 6 || 500|| || 100&nbsp;kW
|-
| Chennai (Madras) || 1 || 100 ||720&nbsp;kHz || MW
|-
| Gorakhpur || 1 || 50 || ||
|-
| Guwahati || 1 || 50 || ||
|-
| Jalandhar (Goraya)|| 1 || 300 || 702&nbsp;kHz || MW
|-
| Khampur-Delhi (HPT) || 7 || 250 || ||
|-
| Khampur-Delhi (SPT) || 2 || 500 || ||
|-
| Kingsway-Delhi || 3 || 50 || ||
|-
| Kingsway-Delhi || 2 || 100 || ||
|-
| Kolkata-Chinsurah/Mogra (SPT) || 1 || 1000 || 1134&nbsp;kHz and 594&nbsp;kHz (Kolkata – A) || 1142&nbsp;kHz MW
|-
| Mumbai (Malad) || 1 || 100 || ||
|-
| Nagpur (SPT) || 1 || 1000 || 1566&nbsp;kHz || MW
|-
| Panaji (HPT)|| 2 || 250 || ||
|-
| Rajkot (SPT)|| 1 || 1000|| 1071&nbsp;kHz AIR URDU || 1080&nbsp;kHz (2 MW) Vividha Bharti
|-
| Tuticorin || 1 || 200 || 1053&nbsp;kHz || MW
|}

Two high-powered FM stations of All India Radio are being installed in Amritsar and Fazilka, Punjab, to complement the programs broadcast from transmitters in Jalandhar, New Delhi, Chandigarh, and Mumbai. These stations aim to improve broadcast services, particularly during unfavorable weather conditions, in the border regions of Punjab.

Today, the External Services Division of All India Radio broadcasts 57 transmissions daily, offering nearly 72 hours of programming that reaches over 108 countries in 27 languages. Of these, 15 are foreign languages and 12 are Indian. The foreign languages include Arabic, Baluchi, Burmese, Chinese, Dari, French, Indonesian, Persian, Pushtu, Russian, Sinhala, Swahili, Thai, Tibetan, and English (General Overseas Service). The Indian languages are Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Konkani, Kashmiri, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Nepali, Punjabi, Saraiki, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.

The longest daily broadcast is the Urdu Service to Pakistan, which airs around the clock on DTH ([[Satellite television|direct-broadcast satellite]]) and on short- and medium-wave for 12¼ hours. The English-language General Overseas Service is broadcast for 8¼ hours daily. During [[Hajj]], special broadcasts in Urdu are beamed to Saudi Arabia. Additionally, AIR is planning to produce programs in the [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochi]] language.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/all-india-radio-to-revamp-baluchi-language-programme-116083101302_1.html|title=All India Radio to revamp Baluchi language programme|last=IANS|date=31 August 2016|work=Business Standard|access-date=8 May 2025|archive-date=11 December 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211025733/https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/all-india-radio-to-revamp-baluchi-language-programme-116083101302_1.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The external services of All India Radio (AIR) are also broadcast to Europe in DRM ([[Digital Radio Mondiale]]) on 9950&nbsp;kHz between 17:45 and 22:30 UTC. These transmissions are delivered via high-power transmitters located in Aligarh, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Gorakhpur, Guwahati, Mumbai, and Panaji on shortwave, and from Jalandhar, Kolkata, Nagpur, Rajkot, and Tuticorin on mediumwave. All India Radio Amritsar plans to launch a booster service on the FM band. Some of these transmitters have a power output of 1000&nbsp;kW (1 MW) or 500&nbsp;kW. Programs are broadcast to various parts of the world, excluding the Americas, with very good reception quality in the target areas.

Each language service includes news, commentary, press reviews, talks on general or cultural topics, feature programs, documentaries, and music from India and the target region. Most of these programs originate from New Broadcasting House on Parliament Street in New Delhi, with some originating from SPT Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, HPT Malad Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram, and Tuticorin.

The External Services Division of All India Radio (AIR) serves as a vital link between India and the rest of the world, particularly in countries with significant [[Indian diaspora]]. It broadcasts India's perspective on national and international matters and showcases the Indian way of life through its programs. [[QSL card]]s, which are highly sought after by international radio hobbyists, are issued by AIR in New Delhi in response to [[reception report]]s of their broadcasts.

==Direct-To-Home==
Direct-to-home (DTH) service is a satellite broadcast service where a large number of radio channels are digitally transmitted over a territory from a high-power satellite. All India Radio broadcasts various national and regional stations, which can be accessed on [[DD Free Dish]]. The DTH signals can be received directly at homes using a small dish receiver unit, which includes a dish antenna installed on the rooftop or a wall facing clear south, with the receiver placed indoors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ddindia.gov.in/Technical/Pages/DD-Free-Dish-(DTH).aspx|title=DD Free Dish (DTH)|website=ddindia.gov.in|access-date=2016-07-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160719233025/http://www.ddindia.gov.in/Technical/Pages/DD-Free-Dish-(DTH).aspx|archive-date=19 July 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> DTH service is offered on twenty one channels via [[Indian National Satellite System|Insat]].

===List of DTH channels===
====National====
* [[Vividh Bharati]] – Hindi music radio
* [[AIR FM Rainbow|AIR FM Rainbow India]] – Hindi & English music radio
* [[AIR FM Gold|AIR FM Gold Delhi]] – Hindi classical music & news Radio
* AIR Live News 24×7 – Hindi & English news radio
* AIR Urdu – Urdu entertainment radio
* AIR Hindi – Hindi entertainment radio
* [[Raagam (radio channel)|Raagam]] – Indian classical music radio
* [[Gyan Vani]] – Hindi & English educational radio
* Akashvani Aradhana – Hindi devotional radio

===Regional===
* AIR Andhra – [[Telugu language|Telugu]]
* AIR Arunachal – [[Hindi]] and [[Nyishi language|Nyishi]]
* AIR Assam – [[Assamese language|Assamese]]
* AIR Bihar – Hindi and [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]]
* AIR Chhattisgarh – Hindi and [[Chhattisgarhi language|Chhattisgarhi]]
* AIR Goa – [[Konkani language|Konkani]] and [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]
* AIR Gujarat – [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]]
* AIR Haryana – Hindi and [[Haryanvi language|Haryanvi]]
* AIR Himachal – [[Hindi]]
* [[Radio Kashmir Jammu|AIR Jammu]] – [[Dogri language|Dogri]]
* AIR Jharkhand – Hindi
* AIR Karnataka – [[Kannada]]
* AIR Kerala – [[Malayalam]]
* AIR Ladakh – [[Ladakhi language|Ladakhi]] 
* AIR Maharashtra – [[Marathi language|Marathi]]
* AIR Manipur – [[Meitei language|Manipuri]]
* AIR Meghalaya – [[Khasi language|Khasi]], [[Garo language|Garo]] and [[English language|English]]
* AIR Mizoram – [[Mizo language|Mizo]]
* AIR MP – [[Hindi]]
* [[AIR FM Tragopan|AIR Nagaland]] – [[Nagamese Creole|Nagamese]] and English
* AIR North East – Hindi and English
* AIR Odisha – [[Odia language|Odia]]
* AIR Port Blair – Hindi
* AIR Puducherry – [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and [[French language|French]]
* AIR Punjab – [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]
* AIR Rajasthan – Hindi and [[Rajasthani language|Rajasthani]]
* AIR Sikkim – [[Nepali language|Nepali]]
* [[Radio Kashmir Jammu|AIR Srinagar]] – [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]] and [[Urdu]]
* AIR Tamil Nadu – [[Tamil language|Tamil]]
* AIR Telangana – [[Telugu language|Telugu]]
* AIR Tripura – [[Bengali language|Bengali]] and [[Kokborok]]
* AIR UP – [[Hindi]]
* AIR Uttarakhand – Hindi
* AIR Varanasi – Hindi
* AIR West Bengal – [[Bengali language|Bengali]]

==Online services==
* AIR Live News
* AIR Najibabad 
* [https://www.radioindialive.com/vividh-bharti-live Vividh Bharati]
* [https://www.radioindialive.com/air-fm-gold-delhi FM Gold Delhi]
* [https://www.radioindialive.com/air-fm-rainbow-delhi-live-streaming FM Rainbow Delhi]
* AIR Urdu
* [[Raagam (radio channel)|Raagam]]
* AIR Gujarati
* AIR Marathi
* AIR Punjabi
* AIR Malayalam
* AIR Tamil
* AIR Telugu
* AIR Kannada
* AIR Bangla
* AIR Jammu
* AIR Odia
* AIR Assamese
* AIR North East
* [[AIR FM Tragopan|FM Tragopan Kohima]]
* FM Rainbow Goa
* AIR Shimla
* AIR Bhuj
* AIR Indore
* AIR Mysuru
* AIR Jodhpur
* Amrutvarshini
* Vividh Bharati Bengaluru
* FM Rainbow Kannada Kaamaanbilu
* AIR Bengaluru
* Sun City FM Jodhpur
* AIR Pune
* AIR Rohtak
* FM Rainbow Lucknow
* AIR Jabalpur
* AIR Bhopal
* [[AIR FM Rainbow|FM Rainbow Mumbai]]
* [[AIR FM Gold|FM Gold Mumbai]]
* Samvadita Mumbai
* AIR Aadilabad
* AIR Jaipur
* AIR Varanasi
* AIR Raipur
* AIR Sangli
* AIR Rajkot
* AIR Nagpur
* AIR Prayagraj
* AIR Patna
* AIR Patiala
* AIR Mhadei Panaji
* AIR Gorakhpur
* AIR Hassan
* AIR Dehradun
* AIR Solapur
* AIR Kota
* AIR Madurai
* AIR Kolhapur
* AIR Suratgarh
* [https://liveradiofm.com/listen/fm-rainbow-visakhapatnam FM Rainbow Visakhapatnam]
* AIR Kurnool
* AIR Bikaner
* AIR Kochi
* AIR Calicut
* AIR Mathura
* AIR Agra
* FM Rainbow Vijayawada
* AIR Vijayawada
* AIR Kannur
* FM Ananthapuri
* AIR Lucknow
* AIR Mount Abu
* AIR Dharwad
* AIR Chandigarh
* AIR Chitradurga
* [[AIR Manjeri FM|AIR Manjeri]]
* AIR Aurangabad
* AIR Surat
* AIR Tirupati
* AIR Kodaikanal
* AIR Alwar

== {{anchor|Other services and units}}Other services ==

=== Digital Radio Mondiale ===
Details of the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) transmissions and frequencies are as follows:

* 01:30–02:30 UTC on 11715&nbsp;kHz Nepali (Nepal)
* 03:15–04:15 UTC on 15185&nbsp;kHz Hindi (East Africa, Mauritius)
* 04:15–04:30 UTC on 15185&nbsp;kHz Gujarati (East Africa, Mauritius)
* 04:30–05:30 UTC on 15185&nbsp;kHz Hindi (East Africa, Mauritius)
* 13:00–15:00 UTC on 15050&nbsp;kHz Sinhala (Sri Lanka)
* 16:15–17:15 UTC on 15140&nbsp;kHz Russian (Eastern Europe)
* 22:45–00:45 UTC on 11645 GOS-I English (Northeast Asia)
* 09:00–11:00 UTC on 6100&nbsp;kHz Vividh Bharati, DRM NVIS
* 17:45–19:65 UTC on 9950&nbsp;kHz English (Western Europe)
* 19:45–20:45 UTC on 9950&nbsp;kHz Hindi (Western Europe)
* 20:45–26:30 UTC on 9950&nbsp;kHz English (Western Europe)

===News-on-phone===
All India Radio launched its news-on-phone service on 25 February 1998, in New Delhi. The service is now available in Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Indore, Patna, and Bangalore. It can be accessed through [[Subscriber trunk dialling|subscriber trunk dialing]] (STD), [[international direct dialing]] (ISD), and local calls. Plans are in place to expand the service to 11 additional cities, including Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Guwahati, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ranchi, and Shimla. The service allows users to listen to live hourly news bulletins in English and Hindi.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsonair.com/ |title=Prasar Bharati |access-date=17 October 2011 |archive-date=21 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120621204711/http://www.newsonair.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> News in [[MP3]] format can be directly played from the site, with filenames time-stamped for easy reference. All India Radio's news bulletins are available in nine regional languages: Tamil, Kannada, Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi, North East languages, Punjabi, Telugu, and Urdu.

==={{anchor|Documentaries and features}}Documentaries===
All India Radio (AIR) has a long tradition of broadcasting documentary features, which have garnered significant interest, particularly in countries like India, Iran, South Korea, and Malaysia. The most prominent broadcaster of English features was [[Melville de Mellow]], while Shiv Sagar Mishra was renowned for his Hindi features. This format has been revived by AIR producers across India due to its flexibility, relatively low production cost, messaging potential, and creative possibilities.

===Central Drama Unit===
All India Radio's Central Drama Unit (CDU) is responsible for the national broadcast of plays. The plays produced by the CDU are translated and produced by regional stations. Since its inception in the 1960s, the unit has produced over 1,500 plays and maintains a repository of old scripts and productions. The National Programme of Plays, aired by the CDU, is broadcast on the fourth Thursday of each month at 9:30 pm. Each play in this program is produced in 22 Indian languages and broadcast simultaneously by all regional and national network stations. Additionally, the CDU produces Chain Plays, which are half-hour dramas broadcast in succession by a network of stations.

===Social Media Cell===
The News Service Division's Social Media Cell was established on 20 May 2013, and is responsible for delivering AIR news across new media platforms, including websites, Twitter, Facebook, and SMS.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:AIR FM Tower Mangalore 0203.jpg|alt=White, multistory building with tall red-and-white tower in front|AIR tower in [[Mangalore]], [[Karnataka]]
File:Akashvani Bhavan, Kolkata.jpg|alt=Massive, pinkish-gray building with columns|[[Akashvani Kolkata]]: the regional centre of Akashvani, [[West Bengal]].
File:Akashvani Emblem - Akashvani Bhavan - Kolkata 2013-09-07 2122.JPG|Emblem of Akashvani at [[Akashvani Kolkata]]
</gallery>

==See also==
{{portal|Telecommunication|India}}
* ''[[The Indian Listener]]''
* [[Radio in India]]
* [[106.4 FM Radio Gold]]
* [[Telugu-language radio|Telugu Radio]]
* [[AIR Srinagar]]
* [[Telecommunications in India]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{wiktionary|akashvani}}
* [http://allindiaradio.gov.in/ All India Radio Official web-site]
* [http://onlinetps.com/resources/AIR_radio_frequency_list.htm All India Radio (AIR) Station Frequencies (National/International)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605120519/http://onlinetps.com/resources/AIR_radio_frequency_list.htm |date=5 June 2014 }}

{{MIBI}}
{{Prasara Bharathi Network}}
{{European Broadcasting Union Members}}
{{World Radio Network}}
{{Telecommunications}}
{{Media of India}}
{{Authority control}}

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