The inaugural World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), a government-led initiative aimed at making India a hub of global creation, is set to bring together the country’s biggest stars, including Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Rajamoulli and Chiranjeevi.

Apart from the Indian superstars, in attendance will be a galaxy of global media and entertainment industry leaders like Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, advertising agency WPP CEO Mark Read, Motion Picture Association chief Charles Rivkin and Amazon Studios’ head of International Originals Kelly Day, among others.

UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is also expected to speak in a keynote titled ‘Creative Bridges: Unlocking Power of Cultural & Digital Partnerships Between U.K. & India’. HRH Prince Faisal Bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, Chairman of the board of Directors, Saudi Esports Federation, too is slated to deliver a special address on sports.

According to a PTI report from New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the summit, set to be held in Mumbai’s Jio World Convention Centre from May 1 to 4. It is being touted as a global platform for creative talents, fostering collaborations and showcasing the country’s potential as a hub for world-class content creation.

On the first day of the summit, Indian cinema veterans — Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Mithun Chakraborty, Mohanlal, Chiranjeevi and Hema Malini — will attend a panel discussion, titled ‘Legends & Legacies: The Stories That Shaped India’s Soul’. It will be moderated by film star Akshay Kumar.

SRK is set to feature in a session called ‘The Journey: From Outsider to Ruler’, which will be moderated by multi-hyphenate Karan Johar, a dispatch from ANI said quoting a Variety report.

Aamir Khan will be part of multiple sessions. These include a solo masterclass, a panel on India’s role in global cinema, and another session called ‘Studios of the Future’, where Ritesh Sidhwani, Dinesh Vijan and Namit Malhotra will join him, the ANI report added.

Other sessions at WAVES 2025 will feature actors such as Alia Bhatt, Anil Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal, as well as top directors and producers, including S.S. Rajamouli and A.R. Rahman.

Panels on streaming, animation, gaming, and artificial intelligence will also be part of the summit. A special session on women in media will highlight the contributions of female voices in the industry.

Some other notable speakers at WAVES 2025 include Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, India-born Neal Mohan who’s the CEO of YouTube, Ajay Bijli, MD of PVR INOX Ltd., Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, Pascal Dasseux, Secretary General, Vivendi Asia Committee & Senior Advisor Asia to Vivendi SE chairman,Bhushan Kumar, CMD of T-Series, Chris Ripley, President and CEO of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Ali Nuhu Mohammed, MD of Nigerian Film Corporation, Changhan Kim, CEO of Krafton, David A Unger, CEO, Artist International Group, Louis Boswell, CEO of Asian media trade organisation Asia Video Industry Association, Taewon Yun, SVP & head of game strategy of  NCSOFT, The Raine Group partners Joe Puthenveetil and Fred Davis and Ajit Mohan, Chief Business Officer of Snap.