Prasar Bharati's OTT to deliver family-friendly entertainment, says Chairman Navneet Kumar Sehgal
"As a national broadcaster, it is our duty to make clean family entertainment reach all sections of society," Sehgal said.
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Prasar Bharati has officially launched its Over-The-Top (OTT) platform, WAVES, at the 55th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. Navneet Kumar Sehgal, Chairman of Prasar Bharati, emphasized the platform’s commitment to offering family-friendly entertainment that is accessible to all sections of society. "As a national broadcaster, it is our duty to make clean family entertainment reach all sections of society," he said.
"Besides news and games, current affairs programs must also be catered to citizens." He also highlighted that WAVES will showcase India’s cultural history and heritage while providing users free access to a wide array of content, with only a few premium offerings subject to charges.
Gaurav Dwivedi, CEO of Prasar Bharati, reiterated the public broadcaster’s goal of ensuring accessibility for all Indians. "There is a need for the public broadcaster to remain present on all platforms," he said. "We have to make information and content available for audiences across our large country." Dwivedi further added that WAVES would prove especially valuable to Indians who have moved away from their roots but wish to stay connected with their culture.
Among the exciting offerings on WAVES is the series ‘Fauji 2.0’, a modern adaptation of 1980s show Fauji, originally starring Shahrukh Khan. Additionally, WAVES OTT will feature the ‘Kakbhushundi Ramayana’, a new original series on DD National. The show is created by film director and producer Ramanand Sagar’s grandson, Shiv Sagar.
Furthermore, WAVES will provide content across over 12 languages, including Hindi, English, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Assamese. The platform will offer content in more than 10 genres, including infotainment, news, gaming and music. Features will include video on demand, free-to-play gaming, live TV streaming with 65 channels, and radio streaming. It will also integrate e-commerce through the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform, allowing users to shop while enjoying entertainment.
