MUMBAI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is contemplating its expansion of Doordarshan's 24-hour news broadcast to around 100 countries with a view to reaching out to the world and putting forth India’s viewpoint on domestic and international issues, according to an Economic Times report. 

Primarily, DD India is into producing various cultural and general entertainment programmes for broadcast in overseas countries. 

The channel also produces 24-hour news and current affairs programmes that are limited to Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the UAE and China. 

The decision to start broadcast of news in a particular country will depend on financial implications such as cost of engaging a local cable for carrying the Indian channel as well as stationing correspondents in that particular country, according to a senior official. 

The factors that would also be considered for starting a news broadcast in a country include the percentage of the Indian diaspora in the total population of that nation, foreign direct investment inflow and outflow, remittance and tourists arrival from that country, the official said.

The ministry will also look at whether India has strategic partnership with that nation, number of visits of the prime minister to that country, whether the Ministry of External Affairs has a joint secretary level officer there and proximity of that nation to multilateral agencies. 

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