Who is Shashi Shekhar Vempati, the new CBFC chairperson? From IIT to former Prasar Bharti CEO

The government appointed Shashi Shekhar Vempati as the Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on Wednesday, 6 May. He will hold office for a period of three years from the date of joining, as per a statement by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Vempati will succeed Prasoon Joshi, who was recently appointed as the chairman of Prasar Bharati.

In a statement on 6 May, the ministry said, “The Government of India, through a notification issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting dated 6 May 2026, has appointed Shri Shashi Shekhar Vempati as the Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). He shall hold office for a period of three years from the date of joining.”

“Consequent upon the elevation of Shri Prasoon Joshi as Chairman of Prasar Bharati, he has stepped down from the position of Chairperson, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), leading to the present appointment,” the statement added.

Who is Shashi Shekhar Vempati?

Shashi Shekhar Vempati's career: Shashi Shekhar Vempati is the former CEO of Prasar Bharati.

Vempati is the co-founder of AI4India Org, which works to democratise access to Artificial Intelligence technology.

He is also a Board Member at BharatGen, according to his LinkedIn profile. Vempati held the position of CEO at the Rajya Sabha TV and Niti Digital.

In 2023, he served as Chairperson of the Science and Technology Communication Apex Advisory Committee, according to his LinkedIn profile.

As per his profile on the website of the International Institute of Communications, “As co-founder of the DeepTech for Bharat Foundation, Shashi champions India’s AI ecosystem through the ‘AI4India’ initiative.”

“He holds several pivotal roles, including as the Chairperson of the Committee for Science & Technology Communication at the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, and Chairperson of the UGC’s Experts Committee on Educational Media,” the profile read.

It added that Shashi Shekhar Vempati “contributes governance expertise to various Boards, including the Indian Institute of Mass Communications (IIMC), Jamia’s AJK Mass Communication & Media Research Centre.”

“He is also a Member of the Global Advisory Council to ATSC, International Broadcast Standards Organisation. As CEO of Prasar Bharati, Shashi drove sweeping reforms at India’s public broadcaster, steering modernisation of Doordarshan and All India Radio while concurrently leading Rajya Sabha TV,” the profile added.

Vempati is also the author of ‘Collective Spirit Concrete Action – Mann ki Baat and its Influence on India’.

Shashi Shekhar Vempati's education: He is an alumnus of IIT Bombay, where he graduated with a BTech in Chemical Engineering.

"Shashi Shekhar Vempati brings with him extensive experience in media, broadcasting, and public communication. His appointment is expected to further strengthen the functioning of the CBFC," the government said in a statement on Wednesday.

About CBFC

The CBFC is a statutory body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting that regulates the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

Films can be publicly exhibited in India only after they have been certified by CBFC.

The Board consists of non-official members and a chairman, all of whom are appointed by the central government, and functions with its headquarters in Mumbai.

It has nine regional offices, one each at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Cuttack and Guwahati.

The regional offices are assisted in the examination of films by advisory panels. The members of the panels are nominated by the central government, drawn from different walks of life, for a period of 2 years.

The certification process is in accordance with the Cinematograph Act, 1952, the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 1983, and the guidelines issued by the Central Government u/s 5 (B).