Mumbai: Prasar Bharati has invited applications from OTT platforms for the exclusive global licence for its programme Swaraj for three-years. The bidding process will be done via e-auction.

The public broadcaster set the reserve price for 75-episode Hindi programme at Rs 26.25 crore plus GST. Any incremental bid beyond the reserve price must be Rs 5 lakh and multiples thereof. The last date for submission for the applications is 4 August.

Produced by Contiloe Pictures, the series was announced by minister of information and broadcasting (MIB) Anurag Thakur on 25 July and is scheduled to telecast on Doordarshan network on 14 August on the eve of India’s 75th year of independence.

The programme commissioned by Prasar Bharati is focused on the unsung heroes and battles of India’s independence all across the country. Originally produced in Hindi, the series will also be dubbed in English and nine other languages including Marathi, Odia, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Assamese and Gujarati.

On winning the bid for the programme, the OTT platform shall be authorised to upload and store the series on its server for the purpose of transmitting the programme to audiences via the OTT platform, either free of cost or behind the paywall, as per the terms and conditions of the licence agreement.

Each episode of the programme will be available on the OTT platform after 48 hours of its first telecast on Doordarshan network.