Creator-led feature to launch in 4-5 weeks on WAVES: Prasar Bharati CEO Gaurav Dwivedi

Prasar Bharati is now developing a creator-led vertical within its OTT platform WAVES, aimed at empowering independent content creators rather than large production houses, Gaurav Dwivedi, CEO, Prasar Bharati told exchange4media. He expressed satisfaction over the response received by the platform since its launch in November last year.

“We are now in the process of creating the creator-led part of the platform, where we will invite individual creators to put up their own content. This is not for large production houses but for individual creators, and we should be launching that in 4-5 weeks,” Dwivedi said.

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According to him, WAVES currently attracts over one lakh daily visits, reflecting growing audience engagement within less than a year of its debut.

“We already have over 45 lakh downloads and more than 25 lakh registered users. The platform is attracting daily visits of more than one lakh users,” Dwivedi said, adding that the content mix has been designed to appeal to a broad spectrum of viewers.

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“We started with a wide mix, broadcasting TV channels, radio channels, some of our legacy content, content from private partners, books, magazines, and online games. We are trying to cater to every segment of the audience,” he said.

According to Dwivedi, WAVES is designed to move beyond the limitations of linear broadcasting by supporting multiple audience strategies simultaneously. “Unlike linear, where focusing on one particular segment of viewers always excludes the other, we can have multiple strategies to cater to different segments and help them personalize the app,” he explained.

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On the monetisation front, Dwivedi said advertiser interest has been encouraging. “Advertiser interest has been there. We are getting good ad film rates also. As the number of daily users rises, it will ramp up. I am reasonably satisfied with the response so far,” he noted.

To strengthen its digital strategy and monetisation framework, Prasar Bharati has engaged Creativeland Asia for the WAVES OTT platform, he said, adding that the agency will assist in building brand visibility and driving advertiser partnerships.

Earlier this year, Prasar Bharati had invited advertising agencies empanelled with the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) to collaborate and advertise on WAVES.

According to a circular issued on January 23, each agency is responsible for managing its own ad-serving arrangements and associated costs. The circular further stated that agencies will receive a 20% discount on the total business brought in, while technical integration costs will also be borne by the agencies.

With its expanding content offering, creator integration, and growing advertiser base, WAVES is positioning itself as a significant player in India’s public-service digital media ecosystem.