Former Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati conferred Padma Shri

Shashi Shekhar Vempati, former Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati, has been conferred the Padma Shri in recognition of his contribution to public broadcasting, media reforms, and digital policy in India.

Vempati, who led India’s public broadcaster between 2017 and 2022, is widely credited with steering Prasar Bharati through a phase of institutional restructuring, technological modernisation, and renewed relevance in a rapidly digitising media landscape. His tenure coincided with a period of heightened focus on public service broadcasting, platform expansion, and policy-backed digital transformation.

As CEO, Vempati oversaw the scaling up of Doordarshan and All India Radio’s digital footprint, including the consolidation of digital offerings under the New India Samachar and NewsOnAir platforms. He played a key role in strengthening the broadcaster’s presence during major national events, including elections, the Covid-19 pandemic, and large-scale public information campaigns, reinforcing the role of public broadcasting as a trusted information utility.

Industry observers also point to his emphasis on technology-led reforms. Under his leadership, Prasar Bharati accelerated work on next-generation broadcasting technologies, including Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) digital terrestrial broadcasting, an initiative being developed in collaboration with IIT Kanpur and Tejas Networks. The project is seen as a potential shift in how free-to-air public content could be delivered directly to mobile devices without reliance on telecom networks.

Beyond broadcasting operations, Vempati has been an influential voice in media and digital policy discourse. He has served on several government committees and advisory groups, contributing to debates around platform regulation, public interest media, and the intersection of technology and democracy. His work has often focused on balancing market-driven media growth with the constitutional mandate of public service broadcasting.

Before joining Prasar Bharati, Vempati held senior editorial and leadership roles across media and digital platforms. Post his tenure at the public broadcaster, he has continued to engage with policy and technology ecosystems as a co-founder of Deep Tech for Bharat, a platform focused on advancing indigenous technology capabilities.

The Padma Shri recognition places Vempati among a small group of media and broadcasting professionals to receive one of the country’s highest civilian honours, underscoring the government’s emphasis on public institutions, digital infrastructure, and policy-driven media reform.

For the broadcasting and policy community, the award is also seen as an acknowledgement of the evolving role of public media in an era shaped by digital platforms, misinformation challenges, and the growing importance of state-backed communication networks.