Mumbai hosted the WAVES Summit 2025, showcasing India’s ambition to become a global media and entertainment powerhouse. The event, attended by industry leaders and policymakers, emphasized India’s rich storytelling tradition and burgeoning talent pool. Discussions focused on leveraging technology to reshape content creation and audience engagement, highlighting the nation’s potential and ongoing efforts to harness its creative strengths.
The city of Mumbai was draped in the hues of the WAVES Summit 2025. From the vibrant banners lining the streets to prominent OOH displays on highways and landmarks like the Gateway of India and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, the “city of entertainment” was visibly riding this wave of pink and purple. Prime Minister Modi’s description of WAVES as more than just an acronym, but an actual “wave” of creative energy, set the tone for the four-day event.
The summit drew a diverse and influential crowd, with figures from industries such as advertising, film, music, gaming, and animation. The ambition was clear: to spotlight India’s burgeoning influence on the global media and entertainment stage. The summit encouraged creators to “create in India.”
While the event brought together industry professionals, policymakers, and creators, the atmosphere was more focused on dialogue and potential. The overarching narrative was clear: India aims to be a global powerhouse in content creation. Speaker after speaker, from industry titans to government officials, underscored the nation’s rich storytelling tradition and growing talent pool.
Interspersed cultural performances enriched the discussions, offering a vibrant showcase of India’s artistic heritage to national and international attendees.
Technology, as expected, played a prominent role in the conversations. Panels explored the potential of AI, AR/VR, and cloud technologies to reshape content pipelines and audience engagement. However, the focus remained on possibilities rather than widespread adoption within the Indian context.
While WAVES Summit 2025 served as a significant platform for networking, discussion, and articulating India’s media and entertainment ambitions, it primarily laid the groundwork for future growth and collaboration rather than announcing immediate, transformative changes.
In all discussions over the four days, the emphasis was clearly on India’s potential and its ongoing efforts to harness creative and technological strengths.
All that one could “C” at WAVES Summit 2025 was… culture, creativity, connectivity, and community.
