India set to lead global creative economy with AI-driven innovation: I&B Secretary Sanjay Jaju

• 17th July 2025
• Moneycontrol News

Startups can register and apply for the ‘Kalaa Setu’ and the ‘Bhasha Setu’ challenges through the WAVEX portal

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Thursday unveiled an initiative designed to help adopt AI-based solutions that can help ‘bridge linguistic divides’. As part of the initiative, Secretary of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting – Sanjay Jaju spearheaded discussions with technology innovators and startup incubators during a meeting at T-Hub in Hyderabad, outlining the government’s commitment to developing indigenous solutions that reflect India’s cultural complexity.

He held a meeting with incubators and startups from across the country, working on AI/ML-based technology solutions at the T-Hub in Hyderabad today.

Apart from the CEO of T-Hub and the startups being incubated at T Hub, participants included representatives of IIT Hyderabad, Centres of Excellence of NITs and Engineering institutions with active innovation cells.

Jaju said that, in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to encourage creator economy of the country, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has set up the WaveX Startup Accelerator Platform. He further informed that the platform has launched ‘Kalaa Setu’ and the ‘Bhasha Setu’ challenges which would be significant in building a future-ready digital ecosystem.

He urged AI startups to participate in the challenges and develop indigenous, scalable solutions that reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity of the nation.

An official release informed that, as part of the initiative, startups can register and apply for the ‘Kalaa Setu’ and the ‘Bhasha Setu’ challenges through the WAVEX portal at https://wavex.wavesbazaar.com.
The technical requirements and other details for the challenges can be accessed from the WaveX portal, it added.

The release stated that shortlisted teams will present their solutions before a national jury in New Delhi, with the winner receiving an MoU for full-scale development, pilot support with AIR, DD, and PIB, and incubation under the WAVEX Innovation Platform.

What is WaveX?

WaveX is a dedicated startup accelerator platform launched under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting’s WAVES initiative, aimed at nurturing innovation in the media, entertainment, and language technology sectors.

At the WAVES Summit held in Mumbai in May 2025, WaveX provided pitching opportunities to over 30 promising startups, enabling direct engagement with government agencies, investors, and industry leaders.