Mumbai: India hosts inaugural WAVES 2025 Summit to elevate global creative industry

India launched its first-ever World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 in Mumbai, marking a significant push to position the country as a global powerhouse in media, entertainment, and digital innovation. With the theme “Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries,” the event has drawn participants from over 90 nations, including more than 10,000 delegates, 1,000 creators, 350 startups, and 300 companies.

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Held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex, the four-day summit is jointly organized by central and state governments. WAVES 2025 serves as a global platform uniting sectors such as broadcasting, animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, extended reality (AVGC-XR), and digital media. The program features 42 plenary sessions, 39 breakout sessions, and 32 masterclasses, addressing the future of creative industries.

The summit underscores India’s commitment to nurturing global talent and building a collaborative ecosystem across the creative spectrum. A future WAVES Awards platform was also announced, which aims to become a benchmark for excellence in arts and creativity.

India’s leadership is actively engaging with the industry, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to hold a roundtable with top media and entertainment executives. He will also tour the Creatosphere, an interactive zone showcasing winning entries from the “Create in India” challenges.

WAVES 2025 is envisioned as a wave of culture, innovation, and cross-border collaboration, redefining India’s role in the global creative economy.