Prasar Bharati launched the WAVES OTT platform in November 2024 as a digital streaming service offering a wide range of content, including radio and TV channels, TV shows, web series, films, live events, cultural and educational programmes, and archival material. The platform has already registered over 84 lakh users across India.
Earlier, in March 2024, Prasar Bharati introduced PB-SHABD (Prasar Bharati – Shared Audio-Visuals for Broadcast and Dissemination) to facilitate news dissemination in 15 Indian languages, including Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Dogri, and Urdu. Initially available free for one year, the service has been extended until March 2027.
A large repository of archival content, including television shows, documentary films, and other programmes, is being gradually published on WAVES OTT to improve discoverability and enhance audience engagement.
Together, WAVES OTT and PB-SHABD provide access to a wide array of Prasar Bharati content across the country, in both Hindi and regional languages, reaching audiences even in remote regions such as Surguja in Chhattisgarh.
The information was shared in a written reply in the Lok Sabha by Dr. L. Murugan, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs.
