Panaji: August 07, 2026
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, through Prasar Bharati, is initiating the pilot phase of “Gems of India”, a national initiative for promoting emerging digital creators and showcasing district heritage through identifying and showcasing local stories, culture, heritage, tourism destinations, achievements and emerging creators from districts across the country through the My WAVES and WAVES OTT platforms.
The initiative seeks to identify and promote emerging digital creators from across the country, showcase the unique culture, heritage, tourism, traditions, local stories and achievements of India’s districts through authentic digital storytelling, encouraging citizen participation, particularly among youth, in documenting and promoting the identity of their districts, creating a nationwide repository of authentic district-level digital content, promoting local tourism, crafts, art forms and lesser-known destinations, and establishing a scalable district-level creator ecosystem for nationwide implementation.
Citizens can participate through the My WAVES section of the WAVES OTT platform, which will serve as the national digital platform for creator registration and submission of entries. Participation will be simple and entirely digital.
Participants have to download the WAVES OTT application from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, register on the platform using a mobile number or any other available sign-in option, and access the My WAVES section and create a Creator Profile, then select the “Gems of India” programme, and upload original digital content together with the prescribed details and submit the entry.
All eligible submissions received from August 1, 2026 to August 31, 2026 shall be considered for evaluation in accordance with the programme guideline.
Participants may submit original digital content highlighting the distinctive identity of their districts, including culture and heritage, tourism destinations, folk traditions and performing arts, handicrafts and handlooms, local cuisine, Festivals and Community Celebrations, Oral Traditions And Local Stories, Nature and eco-tourism, historical sites and monuments, inspirational Local personalities, innovations and best practices, and any other unique feature of the district.
Original content may be submitted in one or more of the following video formats-Short Videos, Reels, Documentaries, Podcasts, Vlogs, and other creative digital video formats.
The entries will be evaluated at District Level in September 2026 while a State level judge will evaluate entries by mid-October 2026. Exciting cash awards will be given to best entries.
Download the WAVES OTT app for more details.
