From Public Broadcasting to Public Participation
WAVES OTT and MyWAVES, developed by Prasar Bharati, reflect India’s transition from conventional public broadcasting towards an integrated digital public-service and creator ecosystem.
WAVES OTT: Digital Public Broadcasting
- WAVES OTT was launched on 20 November 2024 at the 55th International Film Festival of India in Goa.
- It brings together live TV, radio, on-demand programmes, archives, education, news, culture and selected entertainment on a single multilingual platform.
- It has over 20,000 content titles, 18,000 hours of content and content from 480+ partners.
- It provides access to 140+ TV channels, 220 radio services and 9,300+ e-books/publications.
- With 1.4 crore registered users, 1.7 crore+ downloads and reach across 130+ countries, it expands access to Indian public broadcasting.
- Its availability across 10+ interface languages and 26+ content languages promotes linguistic and regional diversity.
Significance
WAVES OTT helps:
- Preserve and digitise India’s broadcasting archives.
- Improve access to educational and public-service content.
- Promote regional languages and cultural heritage.
- Reach youth, digital-first audiences and the Indian diaspora.
- Modernise public broadcasting beyond fixed television schedules.
MyWAVES: From Viewers to Creators
MyWAVES, launched on 23 March 2026, extends WAVES from content consumption to citizen participation and content creation.
- Enables citizens to create, upload and share original content.
- Supports short-form, vertical and episodic content.
- Provides opportunities for emerging and regional creators.
- Promotes participation in initiatives such as the Create in India Challenge.
- Helps bring local stories and talent to national and global audiences.
Gems of India Challenge
The Gems of India Challenge uses MyWAVES to showcase district-level stories and talent.
Creators can highlight:
- Culture, heritage and historical sites.
- Tourism and natural attractions.
- Folk traditions and festivals.
- Handicrafts, handlooms and cuisine.
- Local personalities, innovations and achievements.
The initiative can create a digital repository of India’s diverse local identities while strengthening grassroots participation in the creative economy.
WAVES Summit and Creative Economy
The World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) provides the broader ecosystem connecting creators, businesses, investors, policymakers and technology leaders.
The inaugural WAVES 2025 in Mumbai witnessed participation from 100+ countries, 10,000+ delegates, 1,000 creators, 300+ companies and 350+ start-ups.
Key platforms include:
- CreatoSphere – supports creative talent.
- Create in India Challenges – identifies emerging creators.
- WAVES Bazaar – connects projects with buyers and investors.
- WaveX – supports media-tech start-ups through incubation and investment.
- Bharat Pavilion – showcases India’s cultural and creative capabilities.
Key Outcomes of WAVES 2025
- WAVES Declaration adopted by 77 countries.
- Create in India Challenges received nearly 1 lakh registrations from 60+ countries.
- WAVES Bazaar facilitated ₹1,328 crore in business transactions.
- 30+ start-ups participated through WaveX.
Significance for India
The WAVES ecosystem represents a shift from “public broadcasting” to “public participation.” It combines Prasar Bharati’s archival and public-service role with digital access, citizen-generated content and opportunities in the creative economy.
By connecting archives, regional stories, creators, markets and global audiences, WAVES can help preserve cultural heritage, promote linguistic diversity, democratise content creation and strengthen India’s position in the global media and entertainment ecosystem.
Reference
PIB
