World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit, known by the acronym WAVES, will be a key forum that will be held at Mumbai from May 1st to May 4th for promoting discussions, collaboration and innovation in the M&E industry.
The event will bring together industry leaders, stakeholders, and innovators to discuss prospects, challenges, promote trade to India and influence sector’s future.
Mumbai / New Delhi, NFAPost: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is organising WAVES (World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit) from May 1 to May 4, 2025 in Mumbai at a time when India is positioned to become a prominent hub for high-quality, cost-effective content development.
According to Arvian Research, India has a lot of talent, ranging from compelling actors and directors to competent technicians and animation professionals.
“World-class pre and post-production facilities, together with our back-office operational competence and solid networking infrastructure, form a formidable ecosystem that will catapult the India’s Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector to the world stage. India’s Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry, valued at $26.2 billion, is undergoing a rapid digital transformation, with regulatory changes shaping its future,” states Arvian Research.
World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit, known by the acronym WAVES, will be a key forum for promoting discussions, collaboration, and innovation in the M&E industry. The event will bring together industry leaders, stakeholders, and innovators to discuss prospects, challenges, promote trade to India, and influence the sector’s future.
The Ministry seeks your cooperation in promoting WAVES & creating its buzz in public through your print, television and digital platforms.
Idea behind WAVES
The idea is to hunt the creative talent from nook & corner of our country, nurture their talent and give creative youth of India the global platform of WAVES to perform & showcase their skills before the world.
Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw launched 25 challenges under ‘Create in India Challenge-Season 1’ for WAVES. Echoing the Prime Minister’s vision, of establishing the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) as a summit of global repute, akin to the Davos Economic Forum, the Minister also mentioned that this effort is part of a broader strategy to highlight India’s creative economy, which is rich with tradition, storytelling, and cultural significance—elements of what is globally recognised as the ‘Orange Economy.‘
“Our rich culture, which once resonated in the halls of the Chicago World’s Fair through Swami Vivekananda, is today being carried forward by our Prime Minister on the global stage, through initiatives like yoga, culture, creativity, and Ayurveda,” stated Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw .
Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw also said WAVES is an extension of this effort, aiming to make India the global capital of the creator economy.
WAVES Bazaar
Government of India through National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) has created a WAVES Bazaar for all the media & entertainment industry’s content besides films, where such creative work can be sold & purchased by different companies of media & entertainment industry.
I&B Secretary Sanjay Jaju said WAVES Bazaar is a transformative platform that will unite creators, buyers, and collaborators from across various entertainment sectors such as film, TV, music, esports, animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics. It will bridge geographical gaps, allowing creators to display their work and engage in meaningful B2B interactions.
WAVES Bazaar will also support brand collaborations, funding, and distribution, helping creators secure the backing they need to realise their ideas. This comprehensive e-marketplace will be an important tool to harness the potential of the budding creative economy in India. This platform will enable content creators to market their products, ideas and skills.
Awards and seeking support
WAVES Awards already commenced accepting nominations from February 15th 2025. Celebrating excellence across various creative disciplines, the WAVES Awards feature categories such as Game of the Year, Film of the Year, and Advertising Campaign of the Year. The awards also include Special Selection Awards, honouring lifetime achievements and significant impacts in fields like technology and social influence.
In the next 10 weeks, before the actual summit begins, Press Information Bureau (PIB) also seeks stake holder support in promoting creative challenges, talent hunt shows in the areas of music, reel making, poster making, game development, comics making, film making, EDM electronic dance & Music, Software tool making like Tell Truth hackathon etc, so that more participation can be achieved in challenges where the Registration is still open & to show the creative work of the shortlisted participants, who are already in the race of Final.
Three new challenges under Create in India Challenges
Another highlight was the launch of three new challenges under the Create in India Challenges, viz. “Resonate: The EDM Challenge”, “Make The World Wear Khadi” and “Wah Ustad”.
- Wah Ustad
Envisioned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, driven by the esteemed “Dilli Gharana” in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Doordarshan, “Wah Ustad” provides a platform for young, classically trained vocalists to showcase their exceptional skills. It is open to participants aged 18 years and above, including international participation. It is a two-phased competition culminating in a Grand National finale at WAVES 2025 whose registrations have been opened today on the website of Prasar Bharati (https://prasarbharati.gov.in/wah-ustad/).
- ‘Make The World Wear Khadi’
This challenge invites advertising professionals and freelancers to develop innovative campaigns that position Khadi as a global brand. Open for international participation, this challenge aims to promote Khadi within India and internationally. The participants have to explore innovative design concepts across various formats (e.g., digital, print, video, experiential). “Make The World Wear Khadi” encourages creative thinking and strategic approaches to elevate Khadi’s brand image and drive consumer engagement.
- Resonate: The EDM Challenge: Hosted by the Indian Music Association (IMA), “Resonate” invites artists, composers, musicians, and performers from around the world to showcase their exceptional talent in Electronic Dance Music (EDM) production. This challenge is open to all nationalities.
New challenge for promoting India’s cultural heritage and tourism
The Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting also announced a new challenge aimed at promoting films that explore India’s rich tourism and cultural heritage. This initiative challenges filmmakers to delve deep into the nation’s vibrant cultural tapestry, showcasing it to both national and international audiences. These challenges aim to foster creativity, innovation, and global participation.
WAVES: Showcasing India’s Cultural Prowess Globally
Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat described India as a vibrant crucible of storytellers, musicians, content creators, and religious diversity.
“Our cultural heritage is not just a testament to our past but the backbone of our future on the global stage,” Shri Shekhawat stated. To leverage this rich cultural tapestry, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has launched WAVES, a dynamic platform that aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of showcasing and economically empowering India’s creative talents,” said Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
As India progresses in various sectors—economic, social, and technological—our cultural prowess remains our greatest asset. While expressing gratitude to the Ministry of I&B, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that through WAVES India’s cultural diversity will gain the global recognition it deserves, positioning the cultural creative economy as an integral part of the world’s formal economy.
This initiative underscores the pivotal role that WAVES will play in showcasing and enhancing India’s cultural strength, providing a foundation for our creators to earn respect and recognition worldwide.
Create in India Challenges
Create in India Challenges, the cornerstone of the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES), a flagship initiative by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, has witnessed an overwhelming response from aspiring and professional creators from India and across the globe.
With over 70,000 registrations and counting, the challenge has captured the imagination of individuals and communities from diverse backgrounds, fostering a holistic ecosystem for vibrant creativity and innovation. So far, 31 Create in India Challenges have been launched out of which 25 are still open for registration with 22 attracting global participation.
India: Land of storytelling
Acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur also highlighted India’s status as the largest content creation and consumption nation during his address. “India is not just a hub but a powerhouse of cultural and digital content, ranging from films to gaming. This is what we refer to as our ‘soft power’,” Kapur noted. Continuing on this theme, Sh. Kapur expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming WAVES summit, where this expansive creative energy will be showcased, underscoring the event as a critical platform for demonstrating India’s leadership in the global creative economy.
An opportunity, not to be missed
The summit is designed to be the first of its kind, converging audio, video, and entertainment into a single platform, thus providing a unique opportunity for creators from around the globe to network, collaborate, and display their creative prowess. Sh. Vaishnaw exhorted all the content creators to participate actively in WAVES, emphasizing that it is an opportunity that should not be missed.
Help us to spread the word
As media plays an important role in creating a buzz about forthcoming events, we at PIB, Bengaluru urge you to join us in this noble cause. With the wide reach of your newspaper, magazine & viewership of your channel along with the digital footprints you can help us in telling the people of our nation especially the youth to benefit from this effort, that Government of India is making for them.
It is not only fun but they can also get a career opportunity after getting acknowledged for their talent by the professionals of that area, be it comic making, animation, visual effects or their ability to play a musical instrument on your mobile & produce electronic music.
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