In his address, PM Modi stated that over 100 countries’ artists, investors, and policymakers have gathered under one roof in Mumbai today. In a way, the foundation of an ecosystem of global talent and global creativity is being laid here today.
PM Modi further said: “WAVES, the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit… it’s not just an acronym. It’s a web – of culture, of creativity. WAVES is a global platform that belongs to every artist, every creator like you. Where every artist, every young person will connect with the creative world with a new plan. Today is May 1st. 112 years ago, on May 3, 1913, India’s first feature film, Raja Harishchandra, was released. Its maker was Dadasaheb Phalke, and yesterday was his birth anniversary. In the last century, Indian cinema has succeeded in taking India to every corner of the world.”
At the WAVES Summit 2025, the Prime Minister also launched commemorative postage stamps on five legendary figures of Indian cinema – Guru Dutt, P. Bhanumathi, Raj Khosla, Ritwik Ghatak, and Salil Chowdhury.
What is WAVES?
With the tagline ‘Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries’, the four-day WAVES Summit 2025 will bring together creators, startups, industry giants, and policymakers from around the world to establish India as a global hub for media, entertainment, and digital innovation. WAVES aims to unlock a $50 billion market by 2029, expanding India’s presence in the global entertainment economy. WAVES 2025 will host the first-ever Global Media Dialogue (GMD) in India, with participation from ministers of 25 countries, marking a milestone in the country’s engagement with the global media and entertainment landscape.
