New Delhi, 23 March (H.S.):

Government rolled out three game-changing initiatives today mandating every new television set made in the country to come loaded with a tiny built-in set-top box tuner unlocking over 400 TV channels free of charge.

Alongside the National AI Skills Initiative creators get training across 15000 labs to harness AI for top-notch audio-visual content plus a shiny digital showcase platform to flaunt their work.

Railways Information and Broadcasting Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flipped the switch at a crisp Rail Bhavan event launching MyWebs digital platform TV tuner with advanced EPG and the National AI Skilling Initiative.

Joining him were Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju Prasar Bharati CEO Gaurav Dwivedi plus YouTube India and Google India execs.

These steps fuel Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision Vaishnaw declared stressing his push to democratize tech platforms.

The PM wants high-quality content flowing free to every home he said. No more separate set-top boxes for channel surfing – manufacturers already pumped hundreds of sets into the market each sporting a sleek tuner card in place of bulky hardware delivering around 450 channels gratis.

MyWebs platform supercharges Indias orange economy too Vaishnaw added. Teaming with the Indian Institute of Creative Technology IICT we open 15000 labs linking industry students and IICT to craft premium content and plug it straight into digital markets. Creators Corner just kicked off strong he noted with audio creators next eyeing spots on All India Radio and beyond.

Jaju hailed the trio – National AI Skilling MyWebs and TV tuner with advanced EPG – as spot-on with broader government goals. Big thanks to YouTube and Google for jumping on the AI skilling bandwagon he said. All TVs now ship with built-in D2H free dish systems killing the need for extra boxes though youll still need the dish hooked up.

Young creators especially are flocking to MyWebs Jaju urged more to dive in. It empowers them not just to produce but upload and share content easing challenges for both makers and the state. The launches cap a big day in the Budget Session 2026 stretch blending tech access with creator dreams.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar