Indian Institute of Mass Communication

The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) is an Indian public media-education and communication-research institution headquartered in New Delhi. Established on 17 August 1965 as an initiative of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, it was created to strengthen professional training for journalists, communicators and government information officers. The institute continues to serve as the principal training academy for officers of the Indian Information Service while also admitting students through national entrance examinations, group discussions and interviews. IIMC was conceived during a period when India was expanding its public information, broadcasting and development-communication systems. Gopalaswami Parthasarathi is widely associated with the institute’s founding, while press adviser H. Y. Sharada Prasad played an important role in its creation. The original academic blueprint was prepared by communication scholars led by Wilbur Schramm, an influential American academic often described as a pioneer of modern communication studies. From its initial focus on professional instruction, IIMC developed into a wider institution covering journalism, broadcasting, advertising, public relations, development communication, research and strategic communications. The institute operates a main campus in New Delhi and regional campuses in Aizawl, Amravati, Dhenkanal, Jammu and Kottayam. Its programs include postgraduate diplomas in English, Hindi, Urdu, Odia, Marathi and Malayalam journalism, radio and television journalism, advertising and public relations, digital media, and corporate communication and brand management. It also offers master's-level study in media business studies, strategic communications and new media communications, as well as a PhD program in mass communication and journalism. A specialized development-journalism diploma serves participants from developing and non-aligned countries. IIMC combines classroom teaching with practical media production and professional training. Facilities across its campuses include libraries, computer and media laboratories, audio and video studios, smart classrooms, seminar halls, auditoriums, hostels and, at selected locations, museums, amphitheatres and sports facilities. The institute also provides short-term courses for personnel from media organizations, government departments and public-sector bodies. Its Communication Research Department conducts research, analysis and impact-evaluation work for ministries and government institutions; IIMC describes this department as the first dedicated communication-research department established within an Asian media-training institute. Research and public scholarship are supported through publications including the English-language journal Communicator, the Hindi journal Sanchar Madhyam, the bilingual magazine Sanchar Srijan, the official-language periodical Rajbhasha Vimarsh and a monthly institutional newsletter. The institute has also published books, edited collections and research anthologies in English and Hindi. It has been repeatedly recognized by Indian media and education surveys as one of the country’s leading institutions for mass-communication education, with The Week, Outlook and India Today ranking it highly from 2018 onward. On 31 January 2024, IIMC received deemed-to-be-university status, expanding its formal academic position while retaining its connection with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. In August 2024 it inaugurated its first incubation centre at the Delhi campus and subsequently established another at Kottayam. These developments reflect an effort to extend the institute’s role beyond conventional journalism training into innovation, digital media and applied communication. Its alumni network includes journalists, editors, broadcasters, public officials, authors, actors, social workers, researchers and media entrepreneurs in India and abroad.

The Indian Institute of Mass Communication was established in New Delhi on 17 August 1965 by the Government of India through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Its creation responded to the need for systematic professional development in journalism, broadcasting, public information and development communication. The institute was inaugurated in the presence of Indira Gandhi, then associated with the ministry responsible for information and broadcasting. Gopalaswami Parthasarathi is generally credited with founding the institution, while H. Y. Sharada Prasad is also regarded as an important figure in its establishment. The intellectual design of IIMC was influenced by an international group of communication specialists led by Wilbur Schramm. The institute initially concentrated on training officers and practitioners connected with India’s information services. It became the principal training academy for officers of the Indian Information Service, a role it continues to perform. At the same time, it gradually opened a broader academic pathway for students and working professionals seeking specialized preparation in print, radio, television, advertising, public relations and development communication. Over time, IIMC expanded its curriculum in response to changes in the media industry. Journalism instruction developed across multiple Indian languages, including English, Hindi, Urdu, Odia, Marathi and Malayalam. Broadcasting education was complemented by digital media, communication research, corporate communication, brand management, media business studies, strategic communications and new media communications. The institute also introduced postgraduate and doctoral-level academic programs, alongside short-term courses designed for government, public-sector and professional audiences. A significant institutional feature has been the Communication Research Department. IIMC has undertaken research, analysis and impact assessment for ministries and government bodies, giving it a role that extends beyond teaching. Its research publications include Communicator in English and Sanchar Madhyam in Hindi, supplemented by the bilingual magazine Sanchar Srijan, the official-language publication Rajbhasha Vimarsh, newsletters and occasional books and edited volumes. The institute broadened its national footprint through regional campuses at Aizawl, Amravati, Dhenkanal, Jammu and Kottayam. Together with the Delhi headquarters, these campuses provide classrooms, libraries, laboratories, studios, residential facilities and other infrastructure suited to practical media education. The Dhenkanal campus includes a media museum, while several campuses provide auditoriums, amphitheatres, sports facilities and other student amenities. IIMC became increasingly visible in Indian higher-education rankings, being identified by The Week, Outlook and India Today as a leading mass-communication institution from 2018 onward. Its alumni have gone on to work in journalism, broadcasting, public administration, cinema, publishing, civil society and academia. The IIMC Alumni Association organizes the annual Connections event and maintains chapters in Indian cities and overseas locations. On 31 January 2024, the institute was granted deemed-to-be-university status. Later that year, it inaugurated an incubation centre at the Delhi campus on 29 August and subsequently established another at Kottayam. These steps indicate an institutional move toward supporting innovation and entrepreneurial activity in media and communication, while preserving IIMC’s historic role as a government-supported professional training and research institution.

• 2024

  Granted deemed-to-be-university status

  [1]Indian Institute of Mass Communicationen.wikipedia.org

  IIMC received deemed-to-be-university status on 31 January 2024.

• 2024

  Delhi incubation centre inaugurated

  [1]Indian Institute of Mass Communicationen.wikipedia.org

  The institute inaugurated its first incubation centre at the Delhi campus on 29 August 2024 and later added a centre at Kottayam.

• 2018

  Repeated recognition in Indian media-education rankings

  [1]Indian Institute of Mass Communicationen.wikipedia.org

  From 2018 onward, The Week, Outlook and India Today repeatedly identified IIMC as India’s leading or best mass-communication college in their respective surveys.

• 1965

  Institute established in New Delhi

  [1]Indian Institute of Mass Communicationen.wikipedia.org

  The Government of India established IIMC on 17 August 1965 under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to provide advanced training in journalism, broadcasting and public communication.

A nationally prominent, government-supported specialist institution combining professional media training, postgraduate education, public-sector communication capacity building and applied communication research.

• Postgraduate diploma education

  Journalism programs

  IIMC provides postgraduate journalism education across English, Hindi, Urdu, Odia, Marathi and Malayalam. The curriculum combines reporting, editing, media law, production and practical newsroom preparation, reflecting the linguistic and regional diversity of the Indian media sector.

• Broadcast-media education

  Radio and Television Journalism

  This offering prepares students for audio-visual journalism through instruction in reporting, scripting, presentation, production and studio-based work. IIMC supports the training with broadcast facilities, media laboratories and practical assignments.

• Strategic communication education

  Advertising and Public Relations

  The advertising and public-relations program focuses on campaign planning, messaging, media relations, institutional communication and audience understanding. It serves students preparing for agency, corporate, public-sector and nonprofit communication roles.

• Digital communication education

  Digital Media

  IIMC’s digital-media education addresses contemporary online journalism and digital content practices. It complements traditional reporting and production skills with training relevant to web, social and multimedia communication environments.

• Corporate communication education

  Corporate Communication and Brand Management

  This postgraduate offering covers communication within and around organizations, including reputation, stakeholder engagement, brand management and strategic messaging. It connects media skills with the communication requirements of companies and institutions.

• Postgraduate degree education

  Master of Arts programs

  IIMC offers master's-level study in media business studies, strategic communications and new media communications. These programs extend beyond entry-level journalism training into management, strategy, research and changing digital communication systems.

• Doctoral education

  PhD in Mass Communication and Journalism

  The doctoral program supports advanced research in mass communication and journalism, reinforcing IIMC’s role as both a professional training institution and a centre for communication scholarship.

• Research and evaluation

  Communication research

  Through its Communication Research Department, IIMC undertakes communication studies, analysis and impact-evaluation work for ministries and government bodies. This applied research function is a distinctive part of the institute’s public-sector mission.

• 2024

  Transition to deemed-to-be-university statusStrategy

  Background

  IIMC had historically operated as an autonomous institute and specialist training academy under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

  Action taken

  The institute received deemed-to-be-university status on 31 January 2024, strengthening its formal position in higher education and supporting its postgraduate and doctoral offerings.

  Aftermath

  The change expanded IIMC’s institutional identity from a specialist media-training body toward a broader higher-education and research institution.

  Source

• 2024

  Creation of media incubation centresStrategy

  Background

  The institute sought to extend its activities into innovation and entrepreneurial support within media and communication.

  Action taken

  IIMC inaugurated its first incubation centre at the Delhi campus on 29 August 2024 and later established another centre at Kottayam.

  Aftermath

  The centres broadened the institute’s practical and innovation-oriented ecosystem beyond conventional classroom and newsroom training.

  Source

• 2019.10.17

  Reported2019.10.17

  IIM Calcutta partnered with Coursera for online programmes[2]IIM 加尔各答与 Coursera 合作推出在线课程businesstoday.in

  IIM Calcutta partnered with Coursera to launch new online programmes and certifications for a global audience. IIM-C said it initially planned two MasterTrack certificate programmes, with launches expected over the coming months.

Read more

1. 1Indian Institute of Mass Communicationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2IIM 加尔各答与 Coursera 合作推出在线课程businesstoday.in