WAVES 2025: Key moments from the World’s Newest AV & Media Summit

From 1 to 4 May 2025, Mumbai hosted the inaugural World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025) at the Jio World Convention Centre. Organised by the Government of India, the summit aimed to establish India as a global hub for media and entertainment, bringing together over 90 countries and thousands of industry leaders, creators, and innovators. Alpár Kató, owner of DNH MEDIA GROUP, represented Hungary at the event.

Key themes and objectives of WAVES 2025

WAVES 2025 served as a dynamic platform to connect creators, businesses, and policymakers worldwide under the motto “Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries.” The event featured 42 plenary sessions, 39 panel discussions, and 32 masterclasses covering a broad range of topics, including film, digital content, animation, gaming, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies.

The summit emphasised the growth and significance of India’s “orange economy” – the creative economy – highlighting its potential to become a major pillar of the country’s GDP and a global creative powerhouse.

Notable participants and highlights

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the summit, underlining India’s rich storytelling heritage and its evolving role as a global content creator. Modi encouraged creators worldwide to “Create in India, Create for the World,” emphasising the country’s billion-strong population as a vast reservoir of stories and talent. You can read more about the first day and PM Modi’s speech here: WAVES 2025 kicks off in Mumbai, showcasing India’s rising creative economy

Prominent figures such as Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Rajinikanth, Deepika Padukone, SS Rajamouli, Aamir Khan, and Mohanlal participated in various discussions and masterclasses, sharing insights on creativity, technology, and the future of entertainment.

Innovations and technological advances

A major highlight was the announcement of the Indian Creative Technology Institute in Mumbai, backed by a ₹400 billion investment and partnerships with global tech giants like Google, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, and NVIDIA. This institute aims to nurture talent in animation, gaming, visual effects, and extended reality (XR), positioning India at the forefront of AVGC-XR innovation.

The summit also spotlighted the transformative role of artificial intelligence and immersive technologies in storytelling, content creation, and audience engagement, fostering new business opportunities and international collaborations.

From the business world, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan was there, and one of the event’s main sponsors was billionaire Mukesh Ambani.

Business and cultural impact

The Bazaar facilitated business deals worth over ₹1,300 billion, while the Maharashtra state government signed agreements totalling ₹8,000 billion to boost the media and entertainment sector. Over 3,000 B2B meetings took place, enhancing global partnerships and knowledge exchange.