There's a much longer tradition in India for people in government to just come out and say this is how it's going to be, and they get away with it. Forcing everyone to buy new ambc radios is just one effort, removing the most popular bills from currency was another.
In contrast, it was bad enough they forced everyone to get new tv sets/tuners in the US for the new digi standard, I don't think forcing am and fm listeners to buy new radios would have gone over well. I never knew how much I missed out being unable to see zits and/or boogers of the stars of stage and screen before.