ITANAGAR : The ‘Gems of India Challenge – National Creator Initiative’, launched by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, entered its pilot phase in Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday, with district-level launch programmes organised across several districts to encourage digital creators to showcase the state’s rich cultural and natural heritage.

The initiative seeks to identify, nurture and promote grassroots digital creators by encouraging them to produce authentic and engaging short-form content highlighting their district’s unique culture, traditions, history, tourism potential, biodiversity, local innovations and development stories. Built on the MyWAVES citizen-creator platform under WAVES OTT, the challenge aims to amplify local voices while promoting India’s diverse heritage through digital storytelling.

Arunachal Pradesh is among the states and Union Territories selected for the pilot phase. Content creators will be able to submit original videos of one to three minutes through the MyWAVES section of the WAVES OTT platform from August 1 to August 31.

The competition offers recognition at the district, state and national levels, including district awards of ₹50,000, state awards of ₹2 lakh and national awards of ₹5 lakh.

At Yingkiong, the district-level launch was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s Conference Hall under the chairmanship of Assistant Commissioner (Headquarters) Binti Mibang in the presence of members of the district jury, government officials, teachers, students and local content creators.

Addressing the gathering, Mibang described the challenge as a significant initiative to promote India’s heritage through digital storytelling and urged content creators to showcase Upper Siang’s unique culture, traditions, natural beauty and success stories in a responsible and creative manner. She said quality digital content could strengthen tourism promotion, cultural preservation and public awareness.

Assistant Director of Tourism Onam Darang Pertin said the initiative offered a valuable platform for young creators to highlight Upper Siang’s breathtaking landscapes, vibrant tribal traditions, handloom and handicrafts, local cuisine and cultural heritage. She encouraged participants to approach the challenge with creativity, sincerity and discipline.

Earlier, District Information and Public Relations Officer (DIPRO) Yalik Jerang outlined the objectives, themes, participation guidelines and opportunities under the challenge through a presentation, while a promotional video produced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was screened for participants.

The programme concluded with an interactive session encouraging youths and aspiring creators to actively participate in the challenge.

In Lohit district, the launch programme was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s Conference Hall in Tezu, where DIPRO Nyatum Doke introduced the initiative and explained its objectives, participation guidelines, selection process and opportunities available to digital creators.

He informed participants that the challenge seeks to identify and promote grassroots digital creators by encouraging them to produce authentic stories on local culture, heritage, tourism, traditions, history and achievements through the MyWAVES platform.

Lohit DC Kesang Ngurup Damo, who also chairs the district jury, urged content creators to make full use of digital platforms to showcase the district’s diverse communities, natural beauty, historical sites, traditional knowledge and developmental achievements.

He called on creators to produce original, meaningful and responsible content that truthfully reflects the identity and aspirations of Lohit district.

The programme also featured the screening of an introductory video on the initiative, followed by an interactive session on participation procedures and technical requirements. It concluded with an appeal to local creators to utilise the platform to bring the district’s unique stories to national and global audiences.

In Changlang, the district-level launch and demonstration of the ‘Gems of India’ Creator Initiative was organized at the DC Office, drawing enthusiastic participation from content creators, photographers, videographers, filmmakers, vloggers, students, artists, social media influencers and other creative enthusiasts from across the district.

Welcoming the participants, District Informatics Officer Shiva Ram Krishna highlighted the initiative as a unique national platform for showcasing Changlang’s rich cultural heritage, traditions, tourism potential, handicrafts, biodiversity, festivals and inspiring local stories through original digital content.

A live demonstration of the MyWAVES platform familiarised participants with the registration process, content submission procedure, eligibility criteria and content guidelines. An interactive session was also held to address participants’ queries and encourage the creation of high-quality digital content reflecting the district’s unique identity.

Concluding the programme, the District Art and Culture Officer appreciated the enthusiastic participation of aspiring creators and encouraged them to utilise the MyWAVES platform to showcase Changlang’s culture, heritage, tourism and local talent on a national stage.

Meanwhile, the Tirap district administration, in collaboration with the Department of Information and Public Relations (IPR), also launched the initiative at the DC’s conference hall.

The programme was attended by Tirap DC Badonlum Tawsik, DIPRO Ponung Tasing, Deputy Director of School Education KC Lowangcha, District Tourism Officer Rigio Tabam, other district officials, local content creators, students and youths. The officials will serve as members of the district jury to evaluate entries submitted under the challenge.

Launching the programme, DC Tawsik described the challenge as an opportunity for the district’s youth to present Tirap’s identity before a national audience. He encouraged aspiring creators to produce original and engaging content showcasing the district’s vibrant tribal culture, festivals, scenic landscapes, historical sites, handicrafts, local cuisine and inspiring stories of its people.

Highlighting Tirap’s immense potential in cultural, heritage, eco and adventure tourism, he said digital storytelling has emerged as a powerful medium for preserving indigenous traditions while creating new livelihood opportunities for local communities.

Earlier, DIPRO Ponung Tasing presented an overview of the challenge, explaining its objectives, thematic categories, prize structure and registration process through the MyWAVES platform. She encouraged participants to showcase Tirap’s indigenous knowledge systems, responsible tourism initiatives, local innovations and developmental achievements through authentic digital content.

The Deputy Director of School Education and the District Tourism Officer also urged students and aspiring creators to use their creativity to highlight the district’s educational progress, cultural diversity, tourism potential, entrepreneurial spirit and the aspirations of its youth.

The programme concluded with an interactive session during which participants exchanged ideas on creating impactful digital content centred on Tirap’s culture, tourism, environment, education, indigenous heritage and developmental journey.