The Gems of India Challenge is now open, and it’s a big opportunity for local storytellers and digital creators across India. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) launched the pilot phase of this nationwide initiative on 21 July 2026, aimed at discovering and rewarding grassroots creators who tell authentic stories about their own districts.
If you’ve ever thought your hometown deserves more attention online — its culture, food, festivals, history, or hidden gems — this challenge is built for exactly that. Creators can now upload short videos on the MyWAVES platform, part of the government’s WAVES OTT ecosystem, and compete for cash prizes worth up to ₹5 lakh. Here’s everything you need to know about eligibility, dates, prize money, and how the challenge works.
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Gems of India Challenge – Key Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Launched By | Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) |
| Platform | MyWAVES (under the WAVES OTT ecosystem) |
| Launch Date | 21 July 2026 |
| Submission Window (Pilot) | 1 August 2026 – 31 August 2026 |
| Video Length | 1 to 3 minutes, original content only |
| Pilot Regions | Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, Ladakh |
| Implementation Partners | Prasar Bharati, My Bharat, state governments, district administrations |
| Global Partners | YouTube, Meta |
| Top Prize | ₹5 lakh (National level) |
| Official Website | mib.gov.in |
Background
Prasar Bharati and the I&B Ministry have been pushing to widen India’s digital creator base for a while now, and the Gems of India Challenge builds on the MyWAVES citizen creator platform that Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched to encourage user-generated content and strengthen India’s digital creator ecosystem. The government sees this as part of a bigger push to grow India’s “Orange Economy” — the creative and cultural content economy — by giving ordinary citizens, not just established influencers, a real platform to be seen and rewarded.
This isn’t a one-off event either. It’s designed as a pilot that will be studied and improved before it goes national.
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What Is the Gems of India Challenge?
At its core, this is a video storytelling contest. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting launched the pilot phase of the Gems of India Challenge as a nationwide initiative aimed at identifying, nurturing and promoting grassroots digital creators through authentic storytelling about India’s districts.
Here’s what creators are expected to do:
- Pick a theme connected to their own district — culture, heritage, tourism, tradition, history, or a unique local achievement.
- Shoot an original short video, between one and three minutes long.
- Upload it through the MyWAVES section of the WAVES OTT platform during the submission window.
- Wait for evaluation by district and state jury panels.
The challenge will be hosted on the MyWAVES platform under the WAVES OTT ecosystem, and invites creators to produce short videos showcasing the culture, heritage, tourism, traditions, history and unique achievements of their respective districts.
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Submission Window and Pilot Rollout
Mark your calendar — the submission window for the pilot phase will remain open from 1 August to 31 August 2026, and participants can upload original videos of one to three minutes through the MyWAVES section of the WAVES OTT platform.
The pilot isn’t launching everywhere at once. The programme will first be rolled out in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, and Ladakh, before being expanded across the country. If you’re based outside these regions, don’t worry — the Ministry has already indicated a nationwide expansion is coming once the pilot phase wraps up.
⚠️ Only creators in the listed pilot regions can submit entries in this first phase. If your district isn’t on the list yet, watch this space — govtserviceinfo.com will update this post once the national rollout dates are announced.
Impact on Prasar Bharati and Media Professionals
This initiative matters directly to Prasar Bharati staff and government media professionals, not just independent creators. The pilot phase will be implemented in partnership with Prasar Bharati, My Bharat, state governments and district administrations, while local cultural and educational institutions will assist in creator mobilisation and content development.
For Prasar Bharati employees, this means a bigger operational role — supporting outreach at the district level, coordinating with local institutions, and helping build out the MyWAVES ecosystem that the organisation has been developing. It also reflects a broader shift in Prasar Bharati’s strategy: rather than only producing content in-house, the public broadcaster is increasingly acting as a platform and partner for citizen-generated content.
Prize Structure – How Much Can You Win?
This is the part most creators want to know first, so here it is in a simple table.
| Award Level | Number of Winners | Prize Amount |
|---|---|---|
| District Level | Up to 20 winners per district | ₹50,000 each |
| State Level | 1 creator per participating district | ₹2 lakh |
| National Level | Best entries nationwide | ₹5 lakh each |
To put this simply: the Ministry has announced a three-tier award structure where up to 20 winners in each district will receive ₹50,000 each, one creator from every participating district will then be selected for a state-level award of ₹2 lakh, while the best entries in the nationwide rollout will compete for national awards of ₹5 lakh each.
That means a single strong district-level video could realistically move a creator all the way up to the national round — a meaningful jump in both recognition and prize money.
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Who Will Judge the Entries?
Entries won’t be evaluated by a random panel. The district and state jury committees will comprise experts from the fields of culture, heritage, tourism, media and academia. This is a good sign for quality — it suggests the Ministry wants genuinely well-made, culturally grounded storytelling to win, not just videos with the highest view counts.
Why This Matters
This challenge fits into a larger pattern of the government trying to formalise and monetise India’s grassroots content economy — the so-called Orange Economy — rather than leaving it entirely to private platforms. By routing submissions through MyWAVES and the WAVES OTT ecosystem, the Ministry is also building a homegrown alternative to purely commercial platforms, while still partnering with global players.
The involvement of YouTube and Meta as promotional partners is notable too. The two global technology platforms have partnered with the initiative and will help promote the challenge through their creator communities and digital networks, which should give the contest reach well beyond government channels alone.
For district administrations and cultural institutions, this is also a low-cost way to generate promotional content about local tourism, heritage sites, and achievements — content that might otherwise never get made.
What’s Coming Next?
The pilot is explicitly a testing ground. The Ministry has said insights from the pilot phase will be used to refine the programme before it is expanded to all States and Union Territories, with the long-term objective of creating a vibrant nationwide ecosystem of digital creators who document and promote the unique identity of every district in India.
Here’s what to watch for over the coming months:
- September–October 2026 (expected): District-level judging and result announcements for the pilot phase.
- Post-pilot review: The Ministry evaluates participation numbers, content quality, and platform performance on MyWAVES.
- National rollout: Expansion of the challenge to all States and Union Territories, likely with a revised submission window.
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Important Links
| What | Link |
|---|---|
| Official Website (I&B Ministry) | mib.gov.in |
| WAVES OTT Platform | https://www.wavespb.com/ |
| Prasar Bharati | prasarbharati.gov.in |
| Original News Source | DD India |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the Gems of India Challenge?
It’s a nationwide video contest launched by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to discover grassroots digital creators. Participants make short videos about their district’s culture, heritage, or achievements and upload them on the MyWAVES platform.
2. When can I submit my entry?
The pilot phase submission window runs from 1 August 2026 to 31 August 2026. Videos must be original and between one and three minutes long.
3. Which districts can participate in the pilot phase?
The pilot covers Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, and Ladakh. A nationwide expansion is planned after this phase.
4. How much prize money can I win?
Up to 20 district-level winners get ₹50,000 each, one state-level winner per district gets ₹2 lakh, and top national entries receive ₹5 lakh each.
5. Where do I upload my video?
Entries go through the MyWAVES section of the WAVES OTT platform, which is part of Prasar Bharati’s digital ecosystem.
6. Who decides the winners?
District and state jury committees made up of experts in culture, heritage, tourism, media, and academia evaluate the entries.
7. Is this challenge only for professional creators?
No. It’s specifically aimed at grassroots and everyday creators who want to tell authentic local stories — you don’t need a large following or professional equipment to participate.
Summing Up…
The Gems of India Challenge is a genuine opportunity for local storytellers to get national recognition — and real prize money — for content they may already be creating informally. With YouTube and Meta on board as promotional partners, and Prasar Bharati handling implementation on the ground, this looks like one of the more serious attempts yet to build a formal grassroots creator economy in India. Keep your video idea ready, because the submission window opens on 1 August 2026.
For the latest updates on Prasar Bharati, WAVES OTT, and other government media initiatives, bookmark govtserviceinfo.com and check back as more details on the national rollout are announced.
Disclaimer: This article is based on the official announcement covered by DD India and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. While we make every effort to be accurate and up to date, dates, eligibility criteria, and prize details may be revised by the Ministry after publication. Please verify the latest information from the official Ministry of Information and Broadcasting website (mib.gov.in) or the WAVES OTT platform before submitting an entry.
