DD Kisan TV: A new public TV channel for the countryside launched in India by Prime Minister Modi

The free-to-air (FTA) channel launched on 26 May 2015 will be available on all major cable networks and direct-to-home (DTH) platforms. The government has made DD Kisan a “must carry” channel making it mandatory for cable and Direct to Home (DTH) operators to provide it to their subscribers.

Targeting the farming and rural communities of India, the 24-hour TV channel will run on a budget of INR900 million for 2015-16.The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology said farmers all across the country should be able to access the channel in their local language or dialect.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while launching the Doordarshan’s farmer-centric channel  that agriculture needs priority in the country if villages have to be developed.