In a significant step towards strengthening India’s cultural diplomacy and global outreach, the country’s national broadcaster Doordarshan  signed a pact with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to expand the reach of the country’s cultural content globally using the broadcaster’s wide reach.

The pact, which was signed earlier this week in New Delhi, was done in the presence of DD Director General K. Satish Nambudiripad and ICCR DG  K. Nandini Singla, and senior officials from both the organisations.

The partnership seeks to leverage Doordarshan parent Prasar Bharati’s extensive television, radio and digital ecosystem to amplify the reach of cultural content provided by ICCR. These include cultural events organised by Indian Missions abroad as well as programmes conducted by ICCR headquarters and its zonal and regional offices across India.

ICCR will provide cultural content and performances, while Doordarshan will undertake their coverage and dissemination across multiple platforms, including television channels, radio networks, OTT platforms and social media. The arrangement also facilitates the broadcast of recorded cultural content received from Indian Missions overseas, thereby ensuring wider access to India’s cultural expressions across geographies.

A key feature of the agreement is the provision for joint ownership of content rights in perpetuity, including digital rights, enabling both organisations to archive and disseminate content for long-term use.

The agreement will remain in force for a period of three years, with provisions for extension through mutual consent.