PM Modi inaugurates first WAVES summit in Mumbai

Mumbai: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the first World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai, a four-day event that brings together the entire spectrum of the media and entertainment industry.

The event began with a stirring invocation by Academy Award winner M M Keeravani and a performance by a 30-member orchestra highlighting India's cinematic and storytelling traditions. The summit aims to position India as a global hub for media, entertainment and digital innovation by bringing together creators, startups, industry leaders and policymakers from across the world. 

Modi said it was the right time for "create in India, create for the world" when the world is looking for new ways of storytelling, while India has so much more to offer. He batted for creative responsibility, saying technology is playing an increasingly important role in people's lives and extra effort is needed to maintain human sensitivity. "Humans should not be turned into robots. We need to make them more sensitive," he stressed.

The Prime Minister said the WAVES has the potential to provide global talent a platform at a time when India is emerging as an international hub for film production, digital content, gaming, fashion, music and live concerts. Like Indian 'khana', I am sure Indian 'gaana' will also become globally popular, he said, adding the screen size may be becoming mini but the message (India's stories) is becoming mega.

Film star Shah Rukh Khan welcomed the guests, including Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, S Jaishankar and L Murugan, and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. The 30-member orchestra, 'Sutradhar Reinvented' showcased a sensory-rich journey into India's cinematic and storytelling DNA narrated by Sharad Kelkar.

The summit will feature theme-based plenaries and discussions aimed at shaping the future of the audio-visual industry in India and beyond. The cultural evening on the opening day will feature a classical ensemble led by legends like Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Yella Venkateswara Rao, and Ronu Majumdar, performances by the Tetseo Sisters, JHAALA, Shreya Ghoshal, KING x Alan Walker, and a cinematic act by Anupam Kher.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to chair the Global Media Dialogue, which will see participation from ministers, leaders of the media industry and policymakers from across the world.

Mumbai is expected to be the permanent venue of the WAVES summit, billed as the biggest gathering of the media and entertainment industry, similar to what World Economic Forum meeting at Davos is for the business and economy sectors, officials said.

Modi also inaugurated the Bharat Pavilion at the summit. The pavilion with the theme "Kala to Code" celebrates India's spirit of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' and showcases the country's artistic traditions that have long been a beacon of creativity, harmony and cultural diplomacy. Modi said the Bharat Pavilion reflects significant innovation that has been achieved in the country.

During the summit, billionaire Mukesh Ambani said that India's versatile media and entertainment industry can grow more than threefold to ₹100 billion in the next decade, creating millions of jobs and a ripple effect across sectors. "India's media and entertainment industry is today valued at USD 28 billion. It can grow to over USD 100 billion in the next decade. This growth will drive entrepreneurship, generate millions of jobs, and create a ripple effect across sectors," he said while speaking at the inaugural session of the conference.

Meanwhile, Malayalam movie heavyweight Mohanlal said that films from Kerala have always struck a good balance between arthouse and commercial film genres, something that has only strengthened with the arrival of a new crop of filmmakers. He was speaking at the "Legends & Legacies: The Stories That Shaped India’s Soul" session, moderated by Bollywood star Akshay Kumar. It was also attended by Telugu cinema star Chiranjeevi and veteran actor-MP Hema Malini.

"So, in Malayalam, content-wise, we are very rich. I had the chance of working with great directors like G Aravindan, Padmarajan, Bharatan and at the same time, commercial directors like Priyadarshan. Now, content-wise, (with the arrival of) the new directors. It's full of art. It's a beautiful piece of art," Mohanlal said.

Key issues on the agenda include regulating broadcasting in the digital age, copyright for audio-visual performers and content creators, the role of artificial intelligence in media, the future of theatrical releases, and the evolution of the AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality) sector.

According to an EY report, India's live event segment surpassed Rs 12,000 crore in 2024, with a projected growth of 19 per cent over the next three years.