Centre Unveils Major Infrastructure Push: Soochna Bhavans in 12 State Capitals to Transform Media–Government Interface
In one of the most ambitious communication infrastructure initiatives in recent years, the Central Government has approved the construction of Soochna Bhavans in 12 state capitals.
The project, spearheaded by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B), is part of a larger strategy to modernise the government’s interface with regional media and streamline its communication channels ahead of crucial state elections and the 2029 Lok Sabha polls.
The Soochna Bhavans will be modelled on the National Media Centre in Delhi, which has already proven effective in providing a centralised, professional hub for government–media interaction.
At present, most of the I&B Ministry’s media units — including the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Central Bureau of Communication (CBC), Publications Division, and the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) — function from scattered, rented buildings with inadequate facilities.
This decentralisation has long been viewed as a hurdle to effective communication, coordination, and execution of government campaigns.
By bringing these units together under one roof, the Soochna Bhavans will provide journalists, media professionals, and government communicators a one-stop space to interact, access resources, and participate in events without the inconvenience of navigating across different offices in different parts of a city.
The first phase of construction will cover Lucknow, Dehradun, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Patna, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.
Each complex, estimated to cost around ₹40 crore, will feature state-of-the-art, eco-friendly designs with auditoriums, media lounges, modern workstations, and welfare facilities. Collectively, the project represents an investment of ₹480 crore.
Each Soochna Bhavan will house three multi-purpose auditoriums (seating capacity: 150 each), equipped with advanced audio-visual systems.
These spaces will be made available for press conferences by central and state ministers, CBC film screenings, cultural performances, and large-scale seminars.
To ensure professional management, the auditoriums will be operated by private agencies selected through a transparent bidding process.
For media representatives, the complexes will include a dedicated media centre with 25–30 workstations, an e-library, and direct access to PIB officers, thereby ensuring faster flow of information and more efficient dissemination of government campaigns.
Additional facilities will include a daily newspaper counter, CBC advertising material storage, a Publications Division book lounge, conference rooms with video-conferencing, and a rehearsal hall for the Song and Drama Division.
Recognising the importance of convenience and inclusivity, the design also incorporates VIP lounges, guest rooms for visiting officials, and welfare amenities such as a crèche, yoga centre, and gymnasium.
Technical infrastructure such as Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC) units, secure servers, high-speed internet, and CCTV-enabled access control will further enhance functionality and security.
Each building will follow green building principles, with solar panels, rainwater harvesting, waste management systems, and energy-efficient lighting, making them sustainable long-term assets. Importantly, the complexes will be strategically built within centrally located All India Radio or Doordarshan campuses, ensuring easy accessibility for both government officials and the media fraternity.
A PIB-designated nodal officer will oversee coordination, while joint central and state-level panels will finalise building layouts and execution. Officials say this new infrastructure will not only improve working conditions for media and government communicators but also facilitate smoother, quicker, and more transparent exchanges between policymakers and the press — a move seen as critical in an election-heavy decade where public communication has become more vital than ever.
The Soochna Bhavans, once completed, are expected to emerge as modern communication hubs, ensuring that media professionals have direct access to credible information, comfortable workspaces, and facilities that reflect global best practices in media-government interaction.
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