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Ex-Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati becomes new CBFC chairperson
06 May 2026

Shashi Shekhar Vempati, the former chief executive officer (CEO) of Prasar Bharati, has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

His tenure will last for three years, as per a government press release.

Vempati succeeds lyricist and advertising professional Prasoon Joshi who was recently appointed chair of Prasar Bharati by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).

Joshi resigned earlier this week
Succession details

Joshi, who had been the chairperson of CBFC since August 2017, resigned earlier this week after taking over as Prasar Bharati head.

His appointment came after a five-month vacancy following former chair Navneet Kumar Sehgal's resignation in December 2025.

The government of India announced Vempati's appointment through a notification from the MIB on Wednesday.

Who is Vempati?
Professional background

Vempati is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and is an author. He is also a co-founder of AI4India.org, which aims to democratize access to artificial intelligence technology in India.

Before joining Prasar Bharati as CEO from 2017-2022, he worked at Infosys for over 15 years in technology and product roles.

What is CBFC?
CBFC functions

The CBFC is a statutory body under the MIB that regulates public film exhibitions in India under the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

It has its headquarters in Mumbai and nine regional offices across the country.

The certification process follows The Cinematograph Act, 1952, The Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 1983, and guidelines issued by the central government.

Any film must receive a certification from CBFC to get released.