February 13, marks World Radio Day, an annual observance proclaimed by UNESCO to highlight radio’s enduring power to inform, entertain, educate, and unite people worldwide.
This year’s theme, ‘Radio and Artificial Intelligence,’ invites broadcasters and creators to explore how AI can enhance production, distribution, and audience engagement—while preserving the irreplaceable human warmth, reliability, and connection that define radio at its core.
In India, no medium embodies this spirit more vividly than All India Radio (AIR), known affectionately as Akashvani (“voice from the skies”). For nearly a century, it has been the soundtrack of the nation—from remote villages to urban homes—bridging languages, cultures, and generations long before television or the internet arrived.
A perfect companion to today’s celebrations is Akashvani: A Century of Stories from All India Radio by Vikrant Pande and Neelesh Kulkarni, published by HarperCollins India.
The Sound of India: A Living History Through Stories
Rather than a conventional timeline, the book unfolds through vivid anecdotes, personal recollections, and lesser-known vignettes gathered from producers, broadcasters, radio jockeys, artists, and everyday listeners.
It captures AIR’s journey from its roots in the late 1920s (as the Indian Broadcasting Company) to its evolution into a national institution under government stewardship.
Key highlights include:
– The Naming of Akashvani — Rabindranath Tagore dedicated a poem titled “Akashvani” to the broadcaster, inspiring its adoption as the Hindi name.
– Poetic Endorsement — Sarojini Naidu, the Nightingale of India, inscribed in AIR’s visitors’ book: “To harness the ether for those who dwell upon the earth is one of the loveliest services that the modern age can render to humanity—Upward Radio!”
– Iconic Broadcasts — From Jawaharlal Nehru’s ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech on the eve of Independence, to the magic of Ameen Sayani’sBinaca Geetmala (which sparked fan mail frenzy), thrilling cricket commentaries, film songs on Vividh Bharati, and contemporary programs like Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann ki Baat.
– Behind-the-Mic Tales — An AIR producer among the first civilians allowed into the Golden Temple post-Operation Blue Star; Pakistani ghazal legend Ghulam Ali recommending AIR’s Urdu service to students for impeccable pronunciation; efforts to preserve folk music and promote linguistic diversity across India’s regions.
– Cultural Bridge — Stories of how radio sparked imagination in an era without visuals, fostered national integration, and remained a lifeline during times of limited media options.
The narrative style is warm, nostalgic, and anecdotal—evoking the golden age of radio when a single voice could unite a billion imaginations. Reviews praise it as a heartfelt tribute: Telegraph India called it a dive into AIR’s ‘voice of India’ through engaging vignettes, while reader feedback on platforms like Instagram describes it as ‘nostalgic and enriching,’ reminding us of radio’s timeless role in shaping collective memory.
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