"Make India your playground": PM Modi to global creators at WAVES 2025

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday extended an open invitation to the world’s creators, innovators, and storytellers to make India their creative playground, as he inaugurated the first edition of the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025) in Mumbai.

Positioning India as a global hub for media and entertainment, Modi said the WAVES platform would anchor an international ecosystem of talent and creativity. “This is not just the right time to ‘Create in India,’ but to ‘Create for the World’,” he declared, framing the summit as a catalytic platform for the Orange Economy — one built on content, creativity, and culture.

In an address that ranged from cultural memory to digital futures, Modi said, “India is a country of more than a billion stories — every river, every village has a song to sing. The screen may be becoming micro, but the message is becoming mega.”

WAVES 2025, themed “Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries,” is being held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai from May 1–4. The four-day summit has drawn more than 10,000 delegates, 1,000 creators, and over 350 startups from 90 countries. It features 42 plenary sessions, 39 breakouts, and 32 masterclasses across sectors like film, OTT, gaming, animation, and infotainment.

“This summit is not just an acronym. It is a wave of culture, creativity, and universal connection,” said Modi, calling it a platform where “every artist and young person can connect with a new idea.”

Modi invoked the legacy of Indian cinema’s pioneers — including Dadasaheb Phalke, whose iconic Raja Harishchandra released on May 3, 1913 — to highlight how storytelling has shaped India's global identity over a century. He pointed to India's rising global standing in film distribution and digital content, with Indian films now released in over 800 countries and watched with subtitles by foreign audiences.

Inviting global creators to India, the prime minister said: “Whether you’re a game designer in Bengaluru, a podcaster from Kochi, or a filmmaker in Punjab — India’s creative economy belongs to you.”

He encouraged the world’s media and entertainment leaders to partner with Indian talent, noting that “from skill development to start-up support, and from AVGC policies to digital breakthroughs, our government is with you at every step.”

Modi highlighted the exponential growth of the Indian OTT industry, which has seen a 10x surge in recent years, and pointed to India’s emergence as a global animation and gaming hub. “The global animation market is estimated at $430 billion today and will likely double in the next decade. That is an opportunity waiting for Indian creators,” he said.

Alongside growth and innovation, Modi stressed the importance of “creative responsibility,” warning against the desensitisation of society in the digital age.

“We must not allow humans to become robots. Technology should not erode our sensitivity. It is the duty of the creative world to safeguard human sensibilities,” he said — remarks that come amid growing debates on online content regulation and its societal impact.

Modi underlined how India’s cultural ethos — from the Natya Shastra to Lord Krishna’s flute — has long embraced storytelling as a means of moral and emotional awakening. “Our Gods express themselves through music and dance. That is the soul of our civilisation,” he said.

The prime minister compared WAVES to the transformation of the Padma Awards into a celebration of grassroots talent. “Like the People’s Padma, this summit should also become the People’s Platform,” he said, promising that India would nurture and spotlight creators from every corner.

With initiatives like the Creator’s Challenge drawing over 1 lakh participants across seven countries and the Bharat Pavilion showcasing India’s regional content strengths, Modi said WAVES was already laying the foundation for a global creative ecosystem.

Concluding his address, Modi appealed to the global community to embrace India’s stories. “When you study India, when you hear our stories, you will feel this is my story too,” he said. “There will be no borders, no barriers. Our youth, our energy, and our culture are open to the world.”

As the WAVES 2025 summit unfolds, India’s message to the world is clear: in a world seeking new narratives and digital transformation, it is ready with stories, platforms, and partnerships to become the playground of global creators.