The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has launched the pilot phase of the ‘Gems of India’ Challenge, a national initiative aimed at identifying, nurturing and promoting grassroots digital creators through the MyWAVES platform. The challenge seeks to encourage creators to showcase the culture, heritage, tourism, traditions and unique stories of their districts through short-form digital storytelling.
The pilot phase will open for entries from August 1 to August 31, 2026, with creators invited to submit videos of one to three minutes via the MyWAVES section on the WAVES OTT platform. The initiative is being rolled out across Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Goa, and Ladakh.
To expand the initiative’s reach, the Ministry has partnered with YouTube and Meta, which will leverage their creator ecosystems to drive participation. The pilot will also involve Prasar Bharati, My Bharat, and the respective State and District Administrations, along with local cultural and educational institutions, to support creator mobilisation and content development.
The programme offers awards at multiple levels. At the district level, up to 20 creators per district will receive Rs 50,000 each. One creator from every district will then be selected for a State-level award of Rs 2 lakh, while shortlisted state winners will compete for National Awards of ₹5 lakh during the subsequent nationwide rollout. District and State jury panels will comprise experts from culture, heritage, tourism, media and academia.
According to the Ministry, insights from the pilot phase will inform the programme’s expansion across all States and Union Territories, with the long-term objective of building a nationwide ecosystem of digital creators who celebrate the identity and diversity of every district in India.
