Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept. 03: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has extended the submission deadline for the pilot phase of the Gems of India Challenge 2026 to September 30, providing additional time for citizens, particularly young people and digital content creators, to showcase the culture, heritage, tourism potential and local identity of their districts on a national digital platform. Implemented through Prasar Bharati, the initiative is currently being rolled out across six pilot States and Union Territories through the MyWAVES section of the WAVES OTT Platform.
The challenge seeks entries highlighting a wide range of district-level features, including cultural traditions, historical heritage, tourism attractions, cuisine, art and inspiring local stories. It aims to encourage participants to present the distinctive character of their regions through original digital content that will be featured on a national platform.
The pilot phase covers Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, and Ladakh. The submission window, which originally opened on August 1 and was scheduled to close on August 31, has now been extended by one month. Registration and enrolment remain open on the MyWAVES section of the WAVES OTT Platform, where participants can submit their entries until September 30.
For the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the extended timeline offers an opportunity for residents to showcase the Islands’ unique identity before a nationwide audience. The initiative encourages creators to present the region’s natural beauty, cultural heritage, traditions, cuisine, tourism attractions and inspiring local stories through digital storytelling.
To support wider participation, the existing WAVES OTT Social Media Team has prepared a range of promotional material, including static creatives, carousel posts, reels and promotional videos designed to increase awareness of the challenge and encourage more people to take part.
The Directorate of Information, Publicity and Tourism of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration has appealed to aspiring creators, students, youth, tourism enthusiasts and citizens across the Islands to participate actively in the challenge and make use of the extended submission period.
Interested participants can complete registration and enrolment through the MyWAVES section of the WAVES OTT Platform and submit their entries before the revised deadline of September 30. The challenge continues to provide a platform for participants from the six pilot States and Union Territories to present the cultural richness, tourism potential and local stories of their districts to audiences across the country.
