CURTAIN RAISER: WAVES 2025

The stage is set for the first edition of the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), which will begin on Thursday at the Jio World Centre here. The four-day summit, with the tagline “Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries”, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the summit aims to position India as a global hub for media, entertainment, and digital innovation by bringing together creators, startups, industry leaders, and policymakers from across the world.

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In a bid to bring together creativity, technology, and talent to shape a brighter future, WAVES integrates films, OTT, gaming, comics, digital media, AI, AVGC-XR, broadcasting, and emerging tech, making it a comprehensive showcase of India’s media and entertainment prowess. WAVES aims to unlock a $50 billion market by 2029, expanding India’s footprint in the global entertainment economy.

During the summit, Global Media Dialogue (GMD) will also be held, which will include participants from 25 countries. The summit will also feature the WAVES Bazaar, a global e-marketplace with over 6,100 buyers, 5,200 sellers, and 2,100 projects. It aims to connect buyers and sellers locally and globally, ensuring wide-reaching networking and business opportunities.

In a statement, a spokesperson of the I&B ministry said that the Prime Minister will visit the Creatosphere and interact with creators selected from the 32 Create in India Challenges launched nearly a year ago, which garnered over one lakh registrations.

The first edition has received participation from over 90 countries, with more than 10,000 delegates, 1,000 creators, over 300 companies, and more than 350 startups. The summit will feature 42 plenary sessions, 39 breakout sessions, and 32 masterclasses spanning diverse sectors, including broadcasting, infotainment, AVGC-XR, films, and digital media.