Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the first edition of the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 at the Jio World Convention Centre, hailing the beginning of the ‘sunrise era’ of the Orange economy in India.

Addressing a packed audience of creators, policymakers, and innovators, PM Modi described the creative economy as a powerful force driving India’s global cultural and economic influence.

In his keynote speech, the Prime Minister emphasised that the Orange economy—based on the pillars of content, creativity and culture—is growing rapidly, positioning India as a global hub for music, film, gaming, fashion, and live performances. “We are witnessing the growth era of the Orange economy. Today, India is emerging as a global hub of music, film and gaming. With the Orange economy booming, India’s graphic and animation industry will face tremendous growth and bring economic prosperity for the nation,” he said.

As reported by ANI, PM Modi called the WAVES Summit a wave of culture, creativity and universal connect, and stated that this is the right time to “create in India and create for the world”. He underlined India’s rich legacy of storytelling and said, “India has a treasury of stories dating back thousands of years, at a time when the world is searching for ways and means of storytelling.”

To creators across the globe, he offered a clear message—dream big and tell your stories. He encouraged investors to invest not just in platforms but in people, and urged Indian youth to showcase their billion untold stories to the world. “This is a big opportunity for India’s creative economy,” he added.

Highlighting the importance of global collaboration, PM Modi said, “Today, artists, innovators, investors, and policymakers from more than 100 nations have gathered here under one roof. We are laying the foundation for a global ecosystem of talent and creativity. WAVES is such a global platform that belongs to every artist and creator.”

The summit, held under the theme ‘Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries’, is a first-of-its-kind event designed to promote India as a central player in the global creative economy. WAVES 2025 is a collaboration of multiple stakeholders and brings together over 10,000 delegates, 1,000 creators, 300 companies, and 350 startups from more than 90 countries. The event features 42 plenary sessions, 39 breakout discussions, and 32 expert masterclasses, exploring fields such as OTT, broadcasting, AVGC-XR, animation, AI, comics, and digital storytelling.

A key feature of the summit is the Global Media Dialogue (GMD), which India is hosting for the first time, with participation from ministers of 25 nations. In addition, the WAVES Bazaar—a digital global marketplace with over 6,100 buyers, 5,200 sellers and 2,100 creative projects—is enabling a massive network for creative partnerships and commerce.

The four-day event is not only a showcase of India’s creative strength but also a platform that reflects the Prime Minister’s vision of harnessing the country’s talent, technology and culture to transform the global media and entertainment landscape. WAVES 2025 is expected to unlock a $50 billion market opportunity for India by 2029, firmly placing the country at the heart of the global entertainment economy.