The concept for "Mile Sur" was developed in 1988 by Lok Seva Sanchar Parishad and promoted by Doordarshan (then India's sole TV broadcaster) and India's Ministry of Information. The song was composed by Bhimsen Joshi and arranged by Louis Banks, with lyrics by Piyush Pandey (then an account manager and presently the executive chairman and creative head of Ogilvy and Mather, India). The project was conceived by Suresh Mallik and Kailash Surendranath, was directed by Surendranath and recorded by people from all walks of life, including a supergroup of Indian celebrities—musicians, sports persons, movie stars, etc.