Questions on cost of ABC showing Q&A panel show live from India

THE ABC is refusing to answer questions about how much taxpayer money it is spending to broadcast panel show Q&A live from northern India .

Tony Jones will host live from northern India.

THE ABC is refusing to answer questions about how much taxpayer money it is spending to broadcast panel show Q&A live from northern India tomorrow night.

The show's host, Tony Jones, former Australian cricketer Stuart MacGill and 17 production staff will be flown to Gurgaon for the show.

Industry insiders estimate the production costs could hit several hundred thousand dollars. The ABC says the special is justified within its core objective to "(enhance) Australia's understanding of the world".

But Australia's taxpayer activist organisation has dubbed it an "expensive publicity stunt".

"There is no benefit to the Australian people," Australian Taxpayers' Alliance executive director Tim Andrews said.

"Nobody can think this will enhance (the Australia-India) relationship."

The show will be recorded at the Kingdom of Dreams entertainment centre - 30km southwest of New Delhi - before an audience of Australian expats and Indian citizens.

It will be the second time the show has travelled overseas this year, following a Q&A Jakarta special in July, which gathered 421,000 viewers across the five key metropolitan Australian cities. The special was deemed a success by the ABC, even though the audience was well below the average of 704,000 viewers.

It's understood that Q&A is also planning to send the show to Beijing.

The ABC also refused to reveal its plans, saying there were no firm plans yet for the broadcast.

Q&A executive director Peter McEvoy said costs would be shared with Indian public broadcaster Doordarshan, which would also provide most of the crew.

Five of the six panellists taking part are based in India, with the exception of MacGill.

They are the country's Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor, Australian-born Bollywood star Pallavi Sharda, conservative commentator Swapan Dasgupta, news magazine editor Shoma Chaudhury and TV host Karan Thapar.

Australian Institute of International Affairs national president John McCarthy said the special fell within the ABC's responsibility to enlighten Australians.

"It will bring to an Australian audience the main issues and concerns in India," the former high commissioner to India said.