Prasar Bharati has brought laurels to the nation, with Nongmaithem Nandakumar Singh winning the prestigious ABU Broadcast Engineering Excellence Award 2026 for his outstanding contribution to broadcast technology and innovation. The award was received by Mihir Kumar Jha, Under Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, on behalf of Nandakumar.
Among his notable innovations are DDPlayout, an indigenous automated playout software adopted by multiple Doordarshan Kendras, and DDSlowMo, a cost-effective slow-motion replay system used in national-level sporting events.
The award was presented by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, or ABU, a regional organisation bringing together around 224 broadcasting and media organisations across 66 countries.
The 63rd ABU General Assembly and Associated Meetings are being held in Colombo from October 30 to November 3. The five-day gathering brings together broadcasters, media leaders, engineers and industry experts for technical, programme and sports group meetings, alongside the Broadcasting for All Forum, Media Leaders’ Forum and Super Panel.
Held under the theme “Media for Peace and Humanity: Truth, Trust, and Transformation,” the assembly provides a platform to discuss innovation, emerging technologies and the future of broadcasting.
The recognition of a Prasar Bharati engineer highlights India’s contribution to broadcast engineering excellence and technological innovation across the Asia-Pacific region.
(Ritesh Chaudhary is a Special Correspondent with Prasar Bharati)
