The moment I walked into the WAVES (World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit) launch, I knew I was witnessing more than another media event, a defining moment for the Indian media and entertainment sector. It was a declaration – bold, ambitious and unapologetically one that India is ready to lead the future of storytelling.
Backed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and driven by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, WAVES 2025 brought together everyone who matters in the global creative economy, from filmmakers and tech leaders to animators, investors, actors and emerging creators. As as someone who has been part of this industry and witnessed it’s evolution, I can confidently say that this is a turning point.
From Kala to Code: Where Tradition Meets Tech
What truly struck me was how seamlessly WAVES blended India’s artistic heritage with it’s technical potential. At Bharat Pavilion, called “Kala to Code”, I walked through installations that moved from sound and music to AI and immersive media, all under one roof. It was like witnessing centuries of creativity merge with the future in real-time.
The convergence of the old with the new is not a coincidence. It begins to unfold how India’s creative industry can evolve with the cutting edge technology, while staying rooted in the Indian culture and on heritage. WAVES is truly a rare occasion where the creators meet coders and producers meet platform builders.
One of the most exciting part of WAVES is the “Create in India Challenge” (CIC), which has garnered over 1 lakh submissions from 60 countries! Now that shows how far India’s creative influence is reaching now. At the CreatoSphere, the finalists showcased their innovative ideas, prototypes and raw talent. But what moved me most was the intention behind CIC. It is not merely a contest; it is a launchpad, messaging to the creators around the world that India is not just a place to consume content but also a place to build it for the world.
WAVES also excels in the area of democratising opportunity. I saw regional filmmakers, indie game developers, anime fans and first time content creators sharing space with industry titans. It gave out a simple but powerful message: no voice is too small, no idea is too wild. In a country where the next big storyteller could be from a Tier-2 town or a comeback independent YouTube channel, this inclusivity is not only fair, it’s smart.
The fact that the Indian film industry has supported WAVES speaks for itself. For stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Karan Johar to attend and endorse the summit as a transformational leap for the sector, speaks volumes. Their support is not just because they want to play a part, it indicates a belief that this is more than a policy push: a common goal to structurally and sustainably take Indian entertainment global.
A Movement, Not Just a Summit
As I left the venue, I realised that WAVES wasn’t just a one-off spectacle, it was a foundational move for long term collaborations among creators, investors, distributors and technologists, all working towards a shared vision of ‘Create in India, Create for the World’.
In a world where attention is currency, storytelling is power. And India? We’re ready to lead.
