The Indian government has set aside more than $65 million (Rs 3.93 billion) to digitise the national broadcaster All India Radio (AIR), according to radioandmusic.com.

The investment will help expand FM services to more cities, strengthen AIR’s coverage in border areas and improve e-governance.

AIR currently reaches 92 percent of India’s population and has 465 million listeners on medium wave (AM).

Under an earlier budget commitment, the broadcaster has been converting its old AM transmitters to include Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) technology around the country.

It is hoped the roll-out will allow digital radio to reach nearly 70 percent of the population.

Radioandmusic.com reports how Information and Broadcasting Minister, Prakash Javadekar told parliament that around sixty percent of AIR studios had already been digitised.

The minister also said that six new AIR stations are technically ready – four in the state of Uttarakhand and one each in Uttar Pradesh and Tripura.

Regulatory body Prasar Bharati is trying to speed up the launch of the new services by transferring staff from other stations, the website reports.