All India Radio entered the realm of external broadcasting shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War on 1st of Oct. 1939 - when it started a service in Pushtu.

Today, the External Services Division of All India Radio serves as an important link between India and the rest of the world. Besides, projecting the Indian point of view on matters of National and International importance through its various programmes External Services Division also attempts to acquaint listeners' abroad with the variegated cultural mosaic of India and its socio-economic milieu. ESD presently broadcasts in 27 languages, with a combined daily radio hours of 71 hours 30 minutes to about 100 countries.

The target areas of External Services Division span almost all the continents and include areas of East, North-East and South-East Asia, West Asia, West, North-West and East Africa, Australia, New Zealand, U.K., Europe and of course the Indian Sub-Continent.

Broadcast Languages:

Foreign Languages:	Indian Languages:
Arabic[3 hrs.15 mts.],	Hindi [5 hrs. 15 mts.],
Baluchi (1 hour)	Tamil [5 hrs. 30 mts.],
Burmese (1 hr.)	Telugu [30 mts.],
Chinese (1 hr. 30 mts.)	Bangla [6 hrs. 30 mts.],
Dari (1 hr. 45 mts.)	Gujarati [ 30 mts.],
French (45 mts.)	Punjabi [2 hrs.30 mts.],
Indonesian (1 hr.)	Sindhi [3 hrs. 30 mts.],
Nepali (3 hrs.)	Urdu [12 hrs. 15 mts.],
Persian (1 hr. 45 mts.)	Saraiki [30 mts.],
Pushtu ( 2 hrs.)	Malayalam [1 hr.],
Russian (1 hr.)	Kannada [45 mts]
Sinhala [2 hrs. 30 mts.],
Swahili [1 hr.],
Thai [45 mts.],
Tibetan [1 hr.15 mts],
Genaral Overseas Service(English) [8 hrs.15 Mts.].

The broadcasts follow a composite pattern and generally comprise of News Bulletins, Commentaries, Current Events and Review of the Indian Press, besides Newsreel, Magazine programmes on sports and literature, talks and discussions on social, economic, political historical, scientific and cultural subjects. Features on Developmental activities, important events and institutions, classical folk and modern music of India's diverse regions, form a major part of total programme output.

General Overseas Services
A window to wonder that is India
Salient facts
. Date of Introduction : 1st April, 1966.Language of Broadcast : English Reaches 79 countries.
Mother Service for all language services of ESD.
. Daily Broadcasts for 8 hrs 15 minutes in 5 transmissions.
. Broadcasts addressed to English-knowing audience in different parts of the globe.
. Landscapes India abroad.
. Has assumed the role of 'The Cultural Ambassador' .
. Keeps listeners in touch with ethos of India and things that are Indian.
. Puts across the Indian point of view on World Affairs.

Tuning in to ESD:
ESD broadcasts mainly via Short Wave.

Schedule/Frequency information

ESD frequency schedules are printed twice a year (in October and March ) and can be obtained from the Indian Missions abroad. The same can also be downloaded from our website.

External Services Division also supplies recordings of music, spoken word and composite programmes to about 80 foreign broadcasting organisations under the Cultural Exchange Programme.

External Services Division: Fast Facts

Head: Director, External Services Division
Number of Languages: 27(16 Foreign & 11 Indian)
Coverage Area: 100 countries approx.
Total Number of Employees:(Programme and Administration): 208
Hrs. of b'cast per day: 71:30 hrs (Indian Lang: 38:45 hrs, Foreign: 32:45 hrs)
Headquarters: Broadcasting House, Parliament Street, New Delhi (India).
Telefax No: 91-011-23710057
E-Mail: esd@air.org.in