Prasoon Joshi has been appointed chairman of Prasar Bharati, as India’s public broadcaster navigates platform disruption, changing audience behaviour and growing competition from digital-first media networks.
The appointment was announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday, months after former chairman Navneet Kumar Sehgal resigned from the role in December last year. Sehgal, a retired Indian Administrative Service officer from the 1988 Uttar Pradesh cadre, had overseen governance and policy initiatives across tourism, MSME, infrastructure, information and energy during his administrative career.
Joshi’s appointment places one of Indian advertising’s best-known creative leaders at the helm of a state broadcaster attempting to modernise its role in an increasingly fragmented media ecosystem.
In a statement, Union minister for information and broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “My heartfelt congratulations to Shri Prasoon Joshi ji on his appointment as Chairman of the Prasar Bharati Board. Prasoon ji is a rare creative spirit celebrated across the world in advertising, literature, art and cinema, yet his heart beats unmistakably for India. His words carry the fragrance of our soil, and his vision reflects the timeless essence of our culture. Under his stewardship, Prasar Bharati will discover renewed energy, deeper purpose, and a fresh creative voice. My very best wishes to him for a memorable and meaningful tenure ahead.”
The Ministry described Joshi as a creative professional whose work spans literature, advertising, cinema and public communication. “His body of work spans acclaimed film lyrics, advertising campaigns, and socially resonant storytelling that connects with diverse audiences across the country,” the ministry said in its statement, adding that he had “played a significant role in shaping contemporary Indian media narratives” through “impactful writing and deep cultural sensibility”.
For India’s advertising and media industries, the move is notable not only because of Joshi’s long association with mainstream advertising, but also because it signals how communication strategy and storytelling are becoming central to public broadcasting policy.
Before taking over the Prasar Bharati role, Joshi served as chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification since August 2017. According to the ministry, he contributed to strengthening certification processes while balancing creative expression and regulatory responsibilities during a period of heightened debate around censorship, streaming content and evolving audience sensitivities.
Prior to his government roles, Joshi held senior leadership positions at McCann Worldgroup India and McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific, serving as CEO of the India operations and chairman of Asia Pacific. He also serves as a trustee of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.
His appointment comes at a time when Prasar Bharati faces pressure to redefine the relevance of legacy broadcasting in a digital economy shaped by algorithmic content discovery, creator-led distribution and multilingual streaming platforms. Public broadcasters globally have been reassessing their role amid declining linear television audiences and increasing competition for advertising and viewer attention.
The government said Joshi’s experience across creative industries and public communication would bring “a unique perspective” to the broadcaster’s leadership. That challenge is likely to extend beyond programming and into questions around platform strategy, digital monetisation and the future positioning of public-interest media in India.
The appointment also underscores the growing overlap between public communication, cultural storytelling and institutional media strategy — areas that are increasingly influencing how governments, brands and broadcasters compete for audience attention in a crowded information environment.
