On 2 June 2026, WAVES OTT — the digital streaming platform of Prasar Bharati — crossed the landmark of 1 crore (10 million) registered users, less than two years after its November 2024 launch. With over 24,000 content titles and 140+ live channels offered free, it is among India's most diverse public streaming destinations. For NDA and CDS aspirants, this is an excellent hook to revise Prasar Bharati, public service broadcasting and India's digital-media ecosystem.
What happened
- WAVES OTT, Prasar Bharati's streaming platform, crossed 1 crore registered users, less than two years after launching in November 2024.
- It hosts more than 24,000 content titles and over 15,000 hours of content across entertainment, news, education, culture, spirituality and public-service genres.
- It offers 140+ live TV channels, 200+ radio services, PM eVidya educational channels, digital editions of Yojana, Kurukshetra and Rozgar Samachar, devotional streams and archival content — and reaches audiences in 130+ countries, free of charge.
What is Prasar Bharati?
Prasar Bharati is India's public service broadcaster — a statutory autonomous body established under the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990, which came into being in 1997. It is the parent organisation of India's two iconic public broadcasters:
- Doordarshan (DD) — the national public television network, India's largest broadcasting organisation in terms of reach.
- All India Radio (AIR / Akashvani) — the national public radio network, one of the largest radio networks in the world.
As a statutory autonomous body, Prasar Bharati operates at arm's length from direct government control, with a Board overseeing its functioning, to safeguard editorial independence in the public interest.
What is Public Service Broadcasting (PSB)?
Public Service Broadcasting is broadcasting whose primary mandate is to serve the public interest — through education, information, culture, inclusivity and trusted content — rather than to maximise commercial profit. Unlike private channels driven by advertising revenue and ratings, a PSB is expected to:
- Provide accurate, impartial news and information;
- Reach remote and underserved audiences (where commercial broadcasters may not go);
- Promote education, culture, regional languages and national integration;
- Preserve and broadcast public archives and heritage.
WAVES OTT is the digital (internet) extension of this mandate, taking Prasar Bharati's public-service content to a global, digital-first audience.
What is OTT?
OTT (Over-The-Top) refers to media content delivered directly over the internet, bypassing traditional cable and satellite distribution. Viewers stream on-demand or live content on mobiles, web browsers and connected TVs. The global rise of OTT has transformed media consumption; WAVES is India's public OTT platform, offering free, trusted and diverse content as a counterpart to commercial streaming services. (Note: OTT content in India is broadly under the purview of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the IT Rules, 2021.)
Significance for India
- Digital sovereignty: an indigenous public OTT platform provides trusted, free content at scale, reducing reliance on foreign platforms.
- Education and inclusion: PM eVidya channels support school learning, and government journals (Yojana, Kurukshetra, Rozgar Samachar) reach learners and job-seekers.
- Soft power: reaching 130+ countries projects Indian culture, news and information abroad, supporting India's global outreach.
Why it matters
- Public digital infrastructure: WAVES extends public-service broadcasting into the digital age, free for all.
- Reach and trust: crossing 1 crore users shows growing adoption of an indigenous, trusted platform.
- Education + culture: combines entertainment with learning, devotion, news and heritage — a true public-service mix.
India's media and broadcasting landscape
WAVES sits within a large and fast-changing media ecosystem that aspirants should be able to place:
- Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) is the nodal ministry for broadcasting, films and print media.
- Doordarshan and All India Radio (under Prasar Bharati) are the public broadcasters; alongside them are hundreds of private satellite TV channels and FM radio stations.
- Regulation: broadcasting content, advertising and OTT are governed through a mix of the Cable Television Networks Act, the Press Council of India (for print), self-regulatory bodies, and the IT Rules, 2021 (which brought digital news and OTT under a three-tier grievance-redress framework).
- The WAVES Summit (World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit) is a government-backed platform to promote India's media and entertainment industry — distinct from, but thematically linked to, the WAVES OTT platform.
Why public broadcasting still matters in the digital age
In an era of commercial streaming and social media, a public broadcaster plays a distinctive role: providing trusted, verified information (countering misinformation), serving rural and remote audiences and regional languages, archiving the nation's cultural and historical heritage, and offering educational content (like PM eVidya) free of charge. WAVES OTT digitises and globalises this mission. Crossing 1 crore registered users so quickly shows there is real demand for an indigenous, free, diverse and trustworthy platform — strengthening India's media self-reliance and soft power as its content reaches 130+ countries.
Key facts for your exam
- What: WAVES OTT crosses 1 crore users; launched November 2024; milestone on 2 June 2026.
- Run by: Prasar Bharati (under the Prasar Bharati Act, 1990; operational 1997).
- Prasar Bharati's units: Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (Akashvani).
- Content: 24,000+ titles, 140+ live channels, 200+ radio services, PM eVidya, Yojana/Kurukshetra.
- Nature: a statutory autonomous body — India's public service broadcaster.
Quick revision recap
- WAVES OTT: Prasar Bharati's free streaming platform; crossed 1 crore users (launched Nov 2024); milestone 2 June 2026.
- Prasar Bharati: statutory autonomous public broadcaster (Act of 1990, operational 1997); parent of Doordarshan and All India Radio (Akashvani).
- Public Service Broadcasting: serves the public interest (education, trusted info, culture) over profit.
- OTT: content over the internet, bypassing cable/satellite; OTT/digital media under MIB and the IT Rules, 2021.
- Content: 24,000+ titles, 140+ live channels, PM eVidya, Yojana/Kurukshetra; reaches 130+ countries.
A note on misinformation and trust
In the digital age, where social media spreads information — and misinformation — instantly, a trusted public broadcaster has renewed importance. Verified news, authentic cultural content and educational material from Prasar Bharati provide a credible alternative to unverified online content. By taking this trusted content global through WAVES OTT, India both serves its citizens and projects soft power, much as the BBC (UK) or NHK (Japan) do for their countries. This blend of trust, inclusion, education and soft power is what makes public broadcasting — and its digital extension — a continuing public good rather than a relic of the pre-internet era.
Previous-year & expected exam questions
Q1. Prasar Bharati is the parent organisation of which two bodies? Answer: Doordarshan and All India Radio (Akashvani).
Q2. WAVES, recently in the news, is — Answer: Prasar Bharati's OTT (digital streaming) platform, offering free public-service content.
Q3. Under which Act was Prasar Bharati established? Answer: The Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990 (operational from 1997).
Q4. "OTT" stands for — Answer: Over-The-Top — media delivered directly over the internet, bypassing cable/satellite.
Q5. The IT Rules, 2021 brought which new categories under a regulatory framework? Answer: Digital news media and OTT (streaming) platforms, with a three-tier grievance-redress mechanism.
Q6. The nodal ministry for broadcasting and films in India is the — Answer: Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB).
Q7. All India Radio is also known by which name? Answer: Akashvani.
Media literacy and the digital citizen
As media consumption shifts online, media literacy — the ability to critically evaluate information and identify misinformation — has become an essential civic skill. A strong, trusted public broadcaster plays a stabilising role by providing verified, balanced content. WAVES OTT, by combining news, education, culture and entertainment in one free, trusted platform, supports an informed citizenry. At the same time, the rise of OTT raises policy questions around content regulation, data privacy, and the balance between creative freedom and responsibility — issues India addresses through the IT Rules, 2021 and self-regulatory bodies. For aspirants, WAVES is therefore a window into both public broadcasting and the evolving governance of digital media.
Q8. The WAVES Summit organised by the government stands for — Answer: The World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (promoting India's media & entertainment sector).
Q9. In which year did WAVES OTT launch? Answer: November 2024.
FAQ
Q1. Is Prasar Bharati a government department? No — it is a statutory autonomous body (under the 1990 Act) that runs India's public broadcasting at arm's length from direct government control, to protect editorial independence.
Q2. What does "public service broadcasting" mean? Broadcasting whose primary goal is to serve the public interest — education, trusted information, culture and inclusivity — rather than to maximise commercial profit.
Q3. Why is a public OTT platform significant? It provides free, trusted, diverse content — education, news, culture, devotion — as a digital public good, reaching audiences (including abroad) that commercial platforms may not serve.
Q4. What is PM eVidya? A government initiative offering multi-mode education (TV channels, radio, digital), several of whose channels are streamed on WAVES — supporting students, especially in areas with limited resources.