TNI Bureau: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has launched the pilot phase of the ‘Gems of India’ Challenge, a national initiative aimed at identifying and promoting grassroots digital creators across the country. The programme seeks to encourage creators to showcase the culture, heritage, tourism, traditions, history and unique achievements of their districts through digital storytelling.

The challenge is built on the MyWAVES platform under WAVES OTT, launched by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Creators can participate by uploading original videos of one to three minutes through the MyWAVES platform. The submission window for the pilot phase will be open from August 1 to August 31, 2026.

The pilot phase will cover Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, and Ladakh. The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with Prasar Bharati, My Bharat, state and district administrations, as well as local cultural and educational institutions. The Ministry is also partnering with YouTube and Meta to expand the challenge’s reach.

Speaking on the initiative, Information and Broadcasting Secretary Chanchal Kumar said every district in India has a unique story to tell and the challenge will provide a platform for creators to showcase that diversity.

To recognise outstanding talent, awards will be given at the district, state and national levels. Up to 20 district-level awards of ₹50,000 each will be presented in every district, while selected creators will receive ₹2 lakh at the state level and ₹5 lakh at the national level. Based on the success of the pilot phase, the programme will later be expanded to all states and Union Territories.