Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai on Thursday, May 1. WAVES 2025, with a tagline of “Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries,” is the first of its kind in India. 10,000 delegates from over 90 countries, 1,000 creators, over 300 companies, and over 350 startups are expected to attend the event.
The four-day WAVES Summit, organised by the central and state governments, is being held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai. The summit will have 42 plenary sessions and 32 masterclasses spanning diverse sectors, including broadcasting, infotainment, AVGC-XR, films, and digital media.
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Speaking at the WAVES Summit PM Modi said, "We must also remember another important point, today's young generation needs to be protected from certain inhumane ideologies. WAVES is a platform that can fulfill this responsibility. If we shy away from this duty, it could prove to be extremely harmful for the youth."
"In front of you, the stalwarts of the creative world, I would like to bring up another important topic, 'Creative Responsibility'. We all are witnessing that in the 21st century, which is a tech-driven century, the role of technology in every individual’s life is continuously increasing," PM Modi.
"We are creating an environment where your ideas and imagination are valued, where new dreams are born and you are empowered to realize those dreams. Through the WAVES Summit, you’ll also get a major platform, one where creativity meets coding, where software meets storytelling, where art meets augmented reality," he further said.
PM Narendra Modi said, "This is the sunrise era of the Orange Economy in India. Content, Creativity and Culture are the three pillars of the Orange Economy. The reach of Indian films is now expanding to every corner of the world."
"Every street in India has a story, every mountain is a song, every river hums something. If you visit over six lakh villages in India, each village has its own folk, its unique style of storytelling," he added.