Key Points

With a focus on promoting wholesome programming that resonates with Indian values, Mr. Sehgal stated that WAVES aims to become a leading destination for viewers seeking quality entertainment suitable for all ages. In a recent conversation with IANS, Navneet Sehgal emphasized that WAVES 2025 is a truly “desi” (Indian) platform, with its core unique selling point (USP) being clean and family-friendly entertainment. He explained that the platform is open to using suitable content from anywhere, provided it aligns with this vision.

He told IANS “Our basic idea and USP for this OTT platform is clean and family entertainment. The objective of WAVES is to provide a platform for local content creators. Many have approached us, and we are actively looking for quality content. If independent creators from across the country can offer better content, we will choose the best.”

When asked about collaborations with international creators, Navneet Sehgal said, “We haven’t yet received any offers of foreign or international content, but if it aligns with our policy—being family-oriented and entertainment-based—we may consider using it.” Sehgal also highlighted WAVES’s focus on discovering fresh, original content and welcoming new creators. Unlike many platforms that rely heavily on established names and repetitive themes, WAVES aims to engage younger audiences through innovative storytelling by emerging talent.

He noted the significant disruption the content industry has faced since the COVID-19 pandemic. Even major filmmakers in Mumbai and big platforms like Netflix have struggled to deliver consistent hits despite investing heavily in big-budget productions. Although not always publicized, many of these shows have fallen short of expectations. In response to these challenges, Navneet explained WAVES’ careful and strategic content selection approach. Rather than investing indiscriminately, the platform thoroughly vets’ content to ensure it resonates with audiences—especially families. The focus remains on clean, family-friendly entertainment that viewers of all ages can enjoy together.

“We are looking for good content; We are not looking for content from the existing creators only. We are open to everyone—new content creators are most welcome because one of our objectives is to connect with the youth. You can connect with youth only when you have fresh content from new creators. Since COVID, a lot of disruption has happened in the content industry. Even big filmmakers in Mumbai are struggling to make it big. Even a platform as big as Netflix, whenever they invest a lot of money in a big show—though they don’t openly declare it—some shows have not performed as well as per their expectations,” he further mentioned.

WAVES provides a wide variety of live TV channels, on-demand videos, digital radio, gaming, and e-commerce services—all accessible through a single digital platform. The app is available for both Android and iOS users.

- IANS