India’s media and entertainment sector must move beyond serving as a large content market and focus on building globally competitive companies, creating original intellectual property (IP) and supporting local creators, Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju Kumar said at the CII Big Picture Summit 2026.

Addressing the summit, themed ‘The New Economics of Media & Entertainment: Building India’s Future Global Media Companies’ today in Mumbai, Kumar highlighted the need for sustainable business models, stronger intellectual property protection and greater global market access.

India’s media and entertainment sector grew by 9 percent to reach Rs.2.78 lakh crore in 2025, while digital media revenues crossed the Rs.1 lakh crore mark, according to the figures cited in the release. The live events segment also recorded 44 percent growth, supporting more than one crore livelihoods.

Kumar said the next phase of growth would depend on bringing together creative talent, new technologies, intellectual property protection, capital investment and access to global markets. He stressed that innovation and trust must go hand in hand, calling for a predictable policy environment and responsible business practices to tackle piracy and protect creative investments.

The government, he said, is working to create an ecosystem that enables Indian creativity to grow into globally competitive businesses under the vision of “Create in India. Own in India. Scale in India.”

Among the initiatives highlighted were WAVES and WAVES Bazaar, the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT), India Cine Hub and an enhanced anti-piracy framework. The next edition of WAVES is scheduled to take place in Mumbai in October 2027.

The focus on original intellectual property and stronger anti-piracy measures reflects the industry’s growing need to protect creative work while developing business models that can compete internationally. The broader objective is to help Indian media and entertainment companies expand beyond the domestic market and reach global audiences.

The summit brought the industry’s attention to the need to combine India’s creative talent and expanding digital market with investment, technology and stronger intellectual property protection to build a sustainable global presence.