Waves Summit created the waves for media and entertainment industry

Waves Summit created the waves for media and entertainment industry

The WAVES Summit (World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit) is a major international event held in Mumbai from May 1–4, 2025, at the Jio World Convention Centre. It is India’s first-of-its-kind summit focused on the media and entertainment industry, bringing together over 10,000 delegates from 90+ countries-including creators, industry leaders, startups, and policymakers.

The summit showcased India’s creative potential, promoted international collaboration, and explored the latest trends and technology shaping the entertainment industry

What leading consulting agency says

• ‘From Content to Commerce’ by BCG:  Boston Consulting Group’s Report highlights the explosive growth of India’s creator economy, estimating 2 to 2.5 million active digital creators. These creators influence over $350 billion in annual spending, with projections to surpass $1 trillion by 2030. It emphasizes building long-term, authentic partnerships over transactional engagements with creators.
• ‘A Studio Called India’ by Ernst & Young: Ernst & Young’s Report envisions India as a global content hub, leveraging its linguistic diversity, rich culture, and technological expertise. It highlights India’s 40%-60% cost advantage in animation and VFX services and growing international demand for Indian OTT content, strengthening India’s role in global cultural diplomacy.

Highlights:

• The event was Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, It has participation from 77 Nationas and Indian entertainment icons.
• The event covered topics like AI in media, digital content, OTT, gaming, animation, music, and the future of content creation
• Featured 140+ sessions, master classes, workshops, and business networking, with major deals and MoUs signed
• WAVES Start-Up Accelerator selected 30 M&E Start-Ups to pitch their unique ideas directly to a battery of heavy-weight investors like Lumikai, Jio, CABIL, WarmUp Ventures – among the 45 key angel investors on board. 
• Hosted the Global Media Dialogue and the “Create in India Challenge” for young creators
• Aimed to position India as a global hub for media, entertainment, and digital innovation.

Waves Summit created the waves for media and entertainment industry

Key Points WAVES Summit 2025

• India as a Global Creative Hub: It gave vibration to the world that India is a major player in the global media and entertainment industry, emphasizing its role in films, music, gaming, animation, and storytelling, and fostering international collaboration among creators from over 100 countries
• Empowering the Creator Economy: For this A $1 billion fund was announced to boost India’s creator economy, supporting digital content creators with access to capital, skill development, and global market opportunities. The Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) will further nurture talent in creative and digital technologies
• Focus on Innovation & Technology: The event highlighted the integration of advanced technologies like AI, virtual reality, and the metaverse in content creation, with special tracks on AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics & Extended Reality)
• Recognition and Opportunities for Young Creators: The “Create in India Challenge” and Creatosphere initiative saw participation from nearly 100,000 creative professionals worldwide, with 800 finalists gaining a platform to showcase their talent globally
• Strengthening Cultural Storytelling: The summit celebrated India’s rich storytelling heritage and called for sharing India’s diverse stories with the world through new formats, blending tradition with innovation
• Industry Collaboration and Policy Support: The summit encouraged joint efforts between government, industry, and creators, with a focus on ethical use of technology, shared standards, and responsible content creation
• Launch of Nifty Waves Index: The National Stock Exchange launched the Nifty Waves index to track the performance of Indian media, entertainment, and gaming industry stocks, reflecting the sector’s growing economic significance
• Commitment to Inclusivity: WAVES aimed to recognize and uplift creative talent from every corner of India, ensuring opportunities for artists from diverse backgrounds and regions

In summary, the WAVES Summit 2025 marked a transformative step for India’s creative sector-boosting funding, embracing technology, celebrating cultural roots, and opening new global opportunities for creators