Akashvani celebrates its 90 years today. This day, on June 8th 1936, the Indian State Broadcasting Service was renamed All India Radio (AIR). This red letter day marks a special moment in the cultural, information and broadcasting history of the country, where a voice was born that would echo through generations.
Akashvani’s Correspondent reports that on June 7th 1936, the front page of The Indian Listener, the then official magazine of All India Radio announced AIR to the world and inscribed a day before the magic began. A moment frozen in time. A legacy that lives on. The humble Delhi Station of Akashvani became a centre where voices found wings and history found a mic. From these quiet walls emerged echoes that shaped a nation that has since remained timeless, soulful and unforgettable.
Post-independence, AIR expanded rapidly, adopting the name “Akashvani” in 1956. Today, Akashvani operates 591 stations, reaching 98 percent of India’s population, broadcasting in 23 languages and 146 dialects. Akashvani’s External Services Division broadcasts to over 100 countries, projecting India’s voice globally and connecting with the diaspora. Living up to its noble ideals of “Bahujan Hitaya, Bahujan Sukhaya”, the News Services Division (NSD) of AIR strives to provide news and views to every dweller in this vast country in varied terrains, 24X7, in all major languages and dialects, while adhering to highest professional ethics and standards in Radio Broadcasting.
