AI Skilling Initiative, MyWAVES, Advanced EPG & In-built Satellite Tuner in Television Sets

News: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently launched three new initiatives, AI Skilling Initiative, MyWAVES, Advanced EPG & In-built Satellite Tuner in Television Sets to promote the “orange economy”.

About AI Skilling Initiative, MyWAVES, Advanced EPG & In-built Satellite Tuner in Television Sets

• Aim: The initiatives aimed at promoting the ‘Orange Economy’, strengthening public broadcasting, and building an AI skilled workforce in the media and entertainment sector.
• Nodal Ministry for initiatives: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

About AI Skilling Initiative

• Launched by: It has been launched by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in partnership with Google and YouTube. 
• Implementing agency: It is being implemented through the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT).
• Aim: It aims to strengthen AI capabilities in areas such as animation, visual effects, gaming, comics (AVGC) and media technology.
• Features:  It will support creators, media professionals, students and developers in building future-ready skills and contribute to India’s emergence as a global hub for digital content and innovation.
• The AI skilling programme will be conducted in two phases:
  • Phase I: It will start from March 23 to June 30 2026.
    • It focuses on foundational AI learning at scale through Google Career Certificates and Google Cloud Generative AI learning paths.
    • Courses offered: Participants will undergo courses such as AI Essentials, Prompting Essentials, Introduction to Generative AI and Generative AI Leader Path.
    • Successful completion of this phase will be mandatory for progression to the next stage.
  • Phase II: It will start from July to December 2026.
    • The second phase will involve advanced, hands-on and project-based specialisation for the creative industry.
    • Curriculum: It includes modules on the art of storytelling, YouTube best practices, and advanced training using AI tools.
• Coverage: The training will be conducted in major cities across the country.
• Target: Under the initiative, about 15,000 youth will be trained without levying any fee.

About MyWAVES

• It is a citizen creator platform on WAVES OTT that along with Doordarshan’s Creators’ Corner initiative, enables creators to create, upload, and share content, strengthening India’s digital ecosystem.
•  Features: It is designed as a structured platform for user-generated content (UGC) that will support participation in national digital initiatives.
  • It will support multiple formats (short videos, vertical videos and episodic content) and offer a multilingual interface across Indian languages.
  • It will also serve as a platform for emerging creators and storytellers from across the country.

About Advanced EPG & In-built Satellite Tuner in Television Sets

• The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has introduced TVs with in-built satellite tuners to make television viewing easier.
• Features: Viewers can watch DD Free Dish channels without a separate set-top box. This helps reduce extra costs, wiring, and multiple remote controls.
  • The new advanced programme guide will allow users to easily browse channels and programme schedules in one place through a simple and intuitive interface.