Before Netflix, before 24×7 news channels, before the dizzying whirl of remote-controlled options — there was Doordarshan. And for most Indians growing up in the 1970s and early 80s, it wasn’t just a TV channel. It was the window to the world, the nation’s shared living room, and in many ways, its voice. But on April 25, 1982, this window burst into colour — forever changing the way India saw itself and the world.
But this story begins long before that moment when coloured hues first danced across Indian screens.
Table of Contents
The Monochrome Era: Setting the Stage
For decades, Indian television had existed in stark black and white. Introduced officially in 1959 as an experimental broadcast, Doordarshan was more of an educational tool than an entertainment medium. It catered primarily to schools, farmers, and state-run programming, airing content for only a few hours each day. With limited reach — just Delhi and a few nearby regions — the idea of television was still exotic, even luxurious.
By the 1970s, however, the pace of change was accelerating. India was undergoing a slow but steady media awakening. Films were thriving, radio was everywhere, and the Emergency of 1975–77 had taught the government just how powerful broadcast media could be in shaping public opinion. Television, once a cautious experiment, was beginning to get attention — and ambition.
The Man With the Vision: Vasant Sathe
One of the most critical architects of India’s television revolution was Vasant Sathe, then Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting. Sathe was not a passive bureaucrat — he was a visionary. After a visit to France in the early 1980s, where he witnessed the vibrancy and technological sophistication of colour television, Sathe returned convinced: India must switch to colour broadcasting.
Of course, there were skeptics. Critics wondered whether the investment was justified for a developing country with widespread poverty. But Sathe argued that India was not too poor for progress — in fact, colour broadcasting could help democratize access to information and make television more engaging for millions.
With the 1982 Asian Games on the horizon, the stage was set. The government wanted to showcase India’s growing technological capabilities to the world — and what better opportunity than to do it through a global sporting event?
April 25, 1982 — The First Brushstroke
And so, on April 25, 1982, the first colour transmission officially aired on Doordarshan Delhi. The broadcast? A test run of the technology — quiet, unannounced, and simple. But for those tuning in, it was pure magic.
The grey hues gave way to reds, blues, and golds. Turbans glowed, sarees shimmered, and cricket fields looked alive. India had entered the age of colour TV — a few months before the Asian Games would beam that vibrancy to millions more.
The Asian Games, held in November of that year, marked the formal, large-scale launch of colour broadcasting in India. But it all started with that quiet April evening — a kind of dress rehearsal for a revolution.
The Ripple Effect Beyond Entertainment
- Colour TV sales exploded. Indian households rushed to buy colour televisions in anticipation of the Asian Games. Indigenous brands like Weston and EC TV flourished, while international players started eyeing the Indian market.
- Television became a status symbol. Neighbours gathered in the one house that had a colour TV. Weddings were planned around the availability of a colour broadcast. For many, it was their first taste of a more vibrant world — a symbolic step toward aspiration.
- The electronics industry got a shot in the arm. Ancillary businesses — antennas, TV repair shops, advertising agencies — grew rapidly. Urban employment around the TV industry expanded.
- Doordarshan was no longer just an educational tool — it was entertainment, drama, news, sport. Colour helped amplify emotional storytelling. Shows like Ramayan and Mahabharat, which would debut in later years, owed much of their success to the immersive power of colour.
Colour as a Metaphor
Looking back, April 25, 1982, was more than a technological leap. It was a moment that reflected a broader societal shift — from scarcity to aspiration, from black-and-white thinking to a more colourful imagination of what India could be.
The irony isn’t lost that this explosion of colour came through a state-run channel during an era not especially known for creative freedom. But in some ways, that made it all the more powerful. Colour TV allowed India to tell its own stories in richer tones — to represent its diversity more honestly, to dream bigger, and to bridge the rural-urban divide in ways radio or print never could.
The Legacy
Today, in an age of ultra-HD screens, binge-worthy OTT content, and social media saturation, it’s easy to forget the wonder of that first colour image on television. But for an entire generation, April 25, 1982, remains etched in memory not just as the day TV changed — but as the day India changed.
It wasn’t just about adding colour. It was about adding possibilities.
