India celebrates National Broadcasting Day on July 23 to recognize the profound impact of radio on our lives. This day marks the beginning of the first radio broadcast in India, known as “All India Radio (AIR).”

To commemorate this event, All India Radio (AIR) hosted a symposium in New Delhi devoted to investigating new forms of communication and discussing the role of broadcasting in shaping a modern India. 

During British rule, the Radio Club of Bombay initiated the introduction of radio broadcasting services in India in 1923.

The first radio transmission in India began in 1927 at Bombay Station under the Indian Broadcasting Company. 

Brief history of Indian Radio Broadcasting

On July 23, 1927, All India Radio was founded as a private company known as “Indian Broadcasting Company Ltd (IBC),” and this date became the foundation for National Broadcasting Day, which was established in 1936.Later, on June 8, 1936, the IBC became All India Radio (AIR). The name “Akashvani” was officially adopted by AIR in 1956, drawing inspiration from Rabindranath Tagore’s 1938 poem “Akashvani,” which translates to “voice or announcement from the skies.”