BBC News Punjabi is the Punjabi-language digital news service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). It is part of the BBC World Service and serves Punjabi-speaking audiences in India, Pakistan, and the wider Punjabi diaspora across the United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries. The service publishes news, features, and multimedia content primarily through its website and social media platforms.
| Name | BBC News Punjabi |
|---|---|
| Language | Punjabi |
| Parent organisation | British Broadcasting Corporation |
| Division | BBC World Service |
| Type | Digital news service |
| Audience | Punjabi speakers in India, Pakistan, and the diaspora |
BBC News Punjabi was launched as part of a broader expansion of the BBC World Service into additional Indian-subcontinent languages. The expansion, announced by the BBC in 2016, was the largest growth of the World Service since the 1940s and added new services in languages including Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, and others. The Punjabi service began publishing in 2017.
The service was designed primarily as a digital-first operation, reflecting the BBC's strategy of reaching younger audiences through online and mobile platforms rather than traditional shortwave radio broadcasts. It is written in the Gurmukhi script, which is the script most widely used by Punjabi readers in India.
BBC News Punjabi covers international, national, and regional news with particular focus on stories from Punjab, India, and Punjab, Pakistan. Coverage typically includes politics, agriculture, social issues, culture, sport, and the affairs of the Punjabi diaspora. The service publishes text articles, photo features, and video reports, and distributes content through Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram in addition to its website.
The launch of BBC News Punjabi expanded access to internationally produced Punjabi-language journalism at a time when most Punjabi-language media operated within national boundaries. By serving readers across India and Pakistan, the service offers cross-border coverage of issues affecting the partitioned Punjab region, the Sikh community, and the global Punjabi diaspora.