The research department of Indian public-service broadcasters All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) are looking to develop an Emergency Warning Broadcasting System (EWBS) suitable for the India.
According to Information & Broadcasting Minister P.R. Dasmunsi, experimental transmissions have been conducted on AIR medium-wave and FM transmitters in Delhi. Dasmunsi said that the AIR/DD transmitting infrastructure could be used to convey emergency messages to the public about natural disasters, but manufacturers will have to produce EWBS-ready TV and radio receivers.
Dasmunsi pointed to Japan as a model, where all transmitters — public or private, digital and analog — can be used to transmit emergency information during natural disasters to help relay information ahead of an event and to aid rescue efforts after an event.