Prasar Bharati launches AI training drive to boost newsroom and broadcast efficiency

Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati is accelerating its artificial intelligence (AI) adoption strategy by rolling out a dedicated training programme for officials across Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR), reflecting its growing focus on integrating AI into broadcasting, newsroom operations and data-driven decision-making.

According to an internal circular issued by the Directorate General of Doordarshan's Commercial Service, the three-day programme, scheduled from July 15 to July 17 at the DG Doordarshan office in New Delhi, is designed to familiarize officers and staff with AI-powered tools that can be deployed across content creation, production, analytics and administrative functions.

The initiative comes at a time when media organizations globally are increasingly leveraging generative AI to automate routine workflows, improve multilingual content production, enhance archive management and optimize audience analytics. For Prasar Bharati, which operates one of the world's largest public broadcasting networks through Doordarshan and AIR, the move signals an effort to modernize its operations through emerging technologies.

The programme, titled "Advanced Excel, Data Analysis and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools and Applications in Broadcasting – DD & AIR, Prasar Bharati," will introduce participants to AI fundamentals, generative AI, prompt engineering, responsible AI practices and practical use cases tailored for broadcasting.

Group A and Group B officers, along with officials from Doordarshan Commercial Service, Doordarshan Kendra Delhi and zonal offices of AIR and Doordarshan, have been invited to participate. Employees have also been instructed to carry laptops, tablets and mobile devices to facilitate hands-on learning sessions.

The curriculum indicates that Prasar Bharati intends to embed AI across several core functions rather than limiting its use to administrative tasks.

Participants will receive demonstrations of leading AI platforms including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, DeepSeek, NotebookLM, Perplexity, Adobe Firefly, Canva, CapCut, Riverside and Kimi. The sessions will explore how these tools can support script writing, translation, summarization, metadata generation, image and video creation, research, newsroom productivity and broadcast operations.

The training programme also places significant emphasis on data analysis. Officials will undergo sessions on advanced Microsoft Excel, Power Query, dashboard creation, automation, data cleaning and visualization, alongside AI-assisted analytics. The objective is to help employees combine traditional data analysis techniques with AI-driven capabilities to improve reporting, operational efficiency and decision-making.

According to the programme outline, participants will also be introduced to predictive AI, adaptive AI and agentic AI systems, providing an overview of how AI is evolving beyond conventional automation toward more autonomous decision-support systems.

The sessions are expected to include practical demonstrations, interactive exercises and an assessment at the conclusion of the programme, following which participants will receive digital certificates.

Officials interested in attending have been asked to register through an online form by July 14, with nominations routed through their respective controlling officers.

The training programme underscores Prasar Bharati's increasing emphasis on AI as it looks to modernize broadcasting workflows, improve operational efficiency and prepare its workforce for the next phase of digital transformation across India's public broadcasting network.