Mumbai :- Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the first-ever World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai on Thursday. According to a news agency report, this four-day event will bring together stakeholders from across the media and entertainment industry. Conceptualized as a platform to bridge the gap between traditional and emerging media, the Prime Minister has allocated nearly 10 hours to the summit, where he will chair meetings with CEOs and industry leaders.
PM Modi will also interact with young global creators who participated in 31 “Create in India” challenges under the Creatosphere initiative and will present awards to the winners. Creatosphere will feature curated zones including VR, animation, film, gaming, VFX, comics, music, immersive exhibitions, and masterclasses.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw will address the inaugural session. The event is expected to be graced by leading cinema figures like Rajinikanth, Mohanlal, Hema Malini, and Chiranjeevi.
The summit will open with a soulful invocation by M.M. Keeravani and a 30-member orchestra, followed by Sutradhar Reinvented — a sensory-rich journey through India’s cinematic storytelling, narrated by Sharad Kelkar. The Prime Minister will also unveil the India Pavilion, themed “From Art to Code”, showcasing India’s storytelling legacy through four immersive zones.
WAVES will feature thematic plenary sessions and discussions aimed at shaping the future of the audiovisual industry both in India and globally. The cultural evening on Day 1 will include performances by legends like Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Yella Venkateswara Rao, Ronu Majumdar, the Tetseo Sisters, Zhala, Shreya Ghoshal, King x Alan Walker, and a cinematic act by Anupam Kher.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will chair the Global Media Dialogue, engaging with international ministers, media leaders, and policymakers. The winners of the 32 pre-announced challenges will be honored with the first WAVES Awards at Mumbai’s Jio World Centre.
Officials revealed that Mumbai is being considered the permanent venue for WAVES, envisioned as the largest media and entertainment gathering — comparable to the World Economic Forum in Davos for business and economics.
A key highlight of Day 1 will be a high-profile panel discussion titled Legends and Legacies: The Stories That Shaped India’s Soul, featuring Hema Malini, Mithun Chakraborty, Rajinikanth, Mohanlal, and Chiranjeevi, moderated by actor Akshay Kumar.
Another major session titled The New Mainstream: Breaking Borders, Building Legends will feature filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli, actors Anil Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, and music maestro A.R. Rahman, moderated by producer-director Karan Johar.
A much-anticipated conversation, The Journey: From Outsider to Ruler, will take place between Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Karan Johar, highlighting the inspirational careers of the two stars.
The summit will also tackle pressing issues such as regulating broadcasting in the digital era, copyright for audiovisual artists and content creators, the role of artificial intelligence in media, the future of theatrical releases, and the development of the AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics & Extended Reality) sector.
