Prasar Bharati, India's public service broadcaster, has issued a draft Expression of Interest (EOI) inviting agencies, studios, and startups to participate in AI-generated avatars and content creation across its platforms. The EOI covers nine categories including AI avatars, localisation, archive repurposing, and various content formats for broadcast and digital channels such as Doordarshan, Akashvani, and WAVES OTT. The broadcaster requires all AI-generated content to comply with India's statutory labeling rules for synthetically generated information, according to medianama.com.
The draft EOI allows companies to apply for one or more of the nine distinct categories, which are evaluated independently. These categories include AI anchors and digital humans, multilingual dubbing and lip-sync, AI-assisted restoration of archives, and content formats ranging from short-form videos to multi-episode series. Prasar Bharati's move aims to expand AI use in content creation, localisation, and archive repurposing, ensuring compliance with applicable IT regulations on synthetic content labeling.
This initiative reflects growing adoption of AI technologies in India's public broadcasting sector, aligning with regulatory frameworks that mandate transparency in synthetic media. By empanelling diverse players for AI content creation, Prasar Bharati is positioning itself alongside global broadcasters exploring AI avatars and digital humans for news and entertainment. The inclusion of archive restoration and multilingual localisation also addresses the need for accessible and enhanced content delivery in multiple Indian languages.
The draft EOI is currently open for industry feedback, with detailed categories and compliance requirements outlined in the document available on medianama.com. Prasar Bharati’s next step involves finalising the empanelment process based on responses to this EOI, which will shape AI content integration across its broadcast and digital services.