India showcases soft power and tech ambition on Day 1 of WAVES 2025 global summit

India officially inaugurated the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 in Mumbai, signalling a bold push to position the country as a global creative and technological powerhouse. The event, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, brought together creators, innovators, and policy leaders from across the globe, marking the nation’s most ambitious cultural and entertainment diplomacy initiative to date.

Held under the ambit of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, WAVES 2025 aims to establish India as a leading force in the global content economy. The summit is envisioned as a confluence of storytelling, cinema, music, gaming, and immersive technologies—leveraging India’s scale, talent, and technological leap to catalyse the next phase of economic growth rooted in culture and creativity.

“WAVES is not just a summit; it is a statement,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the inauguration. “A statement that India’s cultural wealth, creative potential, and digital might are ready to take centre stage globally.”

WAVES 2025 reflects a strategic shift in India’s global positioning—from an IT services hub to a creator-led economy powered by digital platforms, AI, and immersive storytelling. With participation from global entertainment giants, leading studios, and policymakers, the summit puts a spotlight on India's ability to produce, scale, and export content across borders and formats.

The summit will also feature a series of strategic dialogues, B2B forums, technology showcases, and global content markets aimed at fostering international collaboration in the media and entertainment sectors. Government officials emphasized that WAVES would serve as a bridge for Indian talent and global capital, while offering a platform for startups, film technicians, animators, and game developers.

India’s cultural exports—from Bollywood and web series to digital creators— has been rising and becoming a significant component of soft power. WAVES 2025 cements that direction, bringing India's civilizational storytelling traditions into dialogue with cutting-edge innovation.

Industry leaders, including top executives from global media conglomerates, AI developers, and streaming platforms, are scheduled to participate in curated sessions exploring topics such as ethical AI in content, localization for global audiences, and new monetization models in the age of short-form media.

The government stated that WAVES will be institutionalised as an annual summit, supported by public and private stakeholders. It will rotate thematically around emerging creative-tech intersections, giving India a permanent seat at the table of global content innovation.