At the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025) in Mumbai, India did more than host a global gathering—it defined the future of storytelling. Leaders from the worlds of technology, media, and culture converged to witness a defining moment: India’s confident emergence as a global creative powerhouse.
Inaugurating the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a vision that resonated far beyond the venue. He described WAVES not just as an acronym, but “a wave of culture, creativity, and universal connectivity.” India, he said, is not merely a country of over a billion people—it is a land of over a billion stories waiting to be shared with the world.
Framing the Orange Economy as India’s next growth engine—rooted in Content, Creativity, and Culture—the Prime Minister called on global creators and investors to recognize this as the moment to “Create in India, Create for the World.” As digital platforms continue to evolve, he noted a paradox of modern media: “The screen may be getting smaller, but the scope is becoming infinite. The screen is getting micro, but the message is becoming mega.”
This expansive vision was reflected throughout WAVES 2025. With India rapidly becoming a hub for film production, digital content, animation, gaming, music, fashion, and live experiences, the summit showcased the full spectrum of its creative and commercial potential.
One of the major highlights was YouTube CEO Neal Mohan’s announcement of a ₹850 crore investment to accelerate India’s creator economy. He cited a thriving content ecosystem with more than 15,000 Indian YouTube channels crossing one million subscribers, declaring, “India isn’t just leading in music and film—it’s now a Creator Nation.”
Joining Mohan were international creators Mark Rober and Gautami Kawale of Slayy Point, who emphasized the global appeal of Indian narratives. Kawale highlighted how culturally rooted regional content has found universal resonance, while Rober pointed to AI-powered dubbing and localization as key to making STEM content cross linguistic and cultural boundaries.
Adding to the momentum, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen hailed India as “the world’s next creative superpower.” With more than 100 million content creators and 500 million OTT consumers, India, he said, is not only consuming but now shaping global creative trends. Demonstrating Adobe’s generative AI platform Firefly, Narayen underscored the importance of ethical AI, content authenticity, and creator attribution in building a sustainable global media landscape.
WAVES 2025 marked a turning point where ancient storytelling traditions, cutting-edge technology, and a billion ambitions converged. From reels to rituals, and scripts to software, India’s creative economy is not only ready for the world—it is already shaping it.
