Budget 2019: FM Proposes New Channel On Startups

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her maiden Budget speech on July 5, said a new channel is proposed to be started under the Doordarshan bouquet to provide a platform for startups to disseminate information in the industry.

The channel will bring together startups, venture capitalists and funding planning on one platform. In the Budget speech, Sitharaman said media boost is required to help startups and entrepreneurs. The channel will be designed and executed by startups

In 2016, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) had written to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to consider setting up a channel dedicated to startups.

A DIPP offcial had said in an interview then that “just like there is a channel for kisan (farmers), there can be one for startups.”

DD Kisan is a 24/7 channel dedicated to farmers.

DIPP had made the suggestion despite fears of India’s startup bubble losing a bit of air. It felt that there’s a vast appetite for more adventures in entrepreneur-land.

DIPP had also proposed to start a reality show for Indian startups along the lines of Shark Tank.

In the desi version of Shark Tank, the show, modelled on a Japanese show and running successfully in US, entrepreneurs will pitch ideas to judges which will be analysed whether the idea is worth the investments.

A show of this kind will encourage creativity and innovations and this will also give startups a higher profile.

Currently, Doordarshan operates 21 channels, including two all-India channels (DD National and DD News), 17 regional satellite channels, 11 state networks, an international channel (DD India), a sports channel (DD Sports), DD Bharati, DD Urdu and DD Kisan.―Money Control