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Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first “World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit” (WAVES) in Mumbai on Thursday. The event is taking place at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai from May 1 to 4. PM Modi laid the foundation stone for India as the global media and entertainment hub in line with his vision of “Create in India, Create for the World”. WAVES is being held as a platform to connect creators across countries and foster international collaboration in the media and entertainment sector.
The event will feature a series of sessions, including global media dialogues, buyer-seller meets, pitching opportunities for young creators. and showcases of emerging digital storytelling formats. The focus will be on virtual production, AI-driven storytelling, green content creation, and international content exchange. The summit will bring together creative professionals, policymakers, industry leaders, technology companies, startups, and investors on a single platform.
The grand event will be attended by Bollywood celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Hema Malini, Mohan Lal and Karan Johar among others.
WAVES marks a strategic step in strengthening India’s role in shaping the future of media and entertainment. The summit will conduct 42 plenary sessions, 39 breakout sessions, and 32 masterclasses spanning diverse sectors including broadcasting, infotainment, AVGC-XR, films, and digital media.
Here’s the list of events scheduled on Day 1, Thursday (May 1, 2025):
Plenary Sessions
12:30 – 13:15
Legends & Legacies: The Stories That Shaped India’s Soul
Speaker: Hema Malini, Mithun Chakraborty, Rajnikanth, Mohanlal, Chiranjeevi
Day 1 will feature musical performances by MM Keeravaani, Shryea Ghoshal, Shankar Mahadevan, Sonu Nigam, Mangli, K S Chitra.
Sharad Kelkar will perform ‘Sankalp – The Resolve’
The New Mainstream: Breaking Borders, Building Legends session will have SS Rajamouli,
AR Rahman, Anil Kapoor, Alia Bhat, Vicky Kaushal as speakers and Karan Johar as Moderator
There are several passes available in different categories.
Business Visitor Pass: This pass will be available at Rs 3000, this pass grants full access to exhibitions and sessions from 1 May to 4 May.
Public Visitor Pass: At Rs 99, this pass allows entry to designated public areas on 3 May and 4 May.
Student Pass: Students can access to specific areas on May 3 and 4 for free.
Media Pass: This pass is exclusively for accredited journalists.
Exhibitor Pass: This is provided based on booth size (1 pass per 3 sqm) and included in the Rs 30,000 exhibitor fee.
PM Narendra Modi posts on 'X': "When it comes to cinema and creativity, Maharashtra has a pivotal role. The state has nurtured generations of people associated with the world of creativity and cinema. Maharashtra’s cultural depth and artistic energy continue to positively… pic.twitter.com/YwxQQ8Hmcv
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
PM Narendra Modi posts on 'X': "The Bharat Pavilion at Waves showcases our cinematic tradition and the opportunities that await in our country. I call upon the world to come to India and explore the creative opportunities here." pic.twitter.com/CCO46KCWFZ
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
#watch | Mumbai: At WAVES 2025, Mukesh D Ambani, Chairman & Managing Director, Reliance Industries Limited, said, "...Soon, our economy will become the third largest globally. This will potentially make India the world's largest media and entertainment market. Just look at the… pic.twitter.com/Y3B1LboZKK
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
#watch | Mumbai: At WAVES 2025, Mukesh D Ambani, Chairman & Managing Director, Reliance Industries Limited, said, "India's media and entertainment industry today stands at 28 billion dollars. We can easily grow this five times to over 100 billion dollars in the next decade. This… pic.twitter.com/zryKbMYIEM
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
At WAVES 2025, Mukesh D Ambani, Chairman & Managing Director, Reliance Industries Limited, said, "Prime Minister Modi gave his green signal for this summit just a few months ago. His mandate to Team India was simple: WAVES to be a global hub of innovation, culture, and… pic.twitter.com/4uHf5CGcWZ
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
#watch | Mumbai | At the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025- WAVES, film director Ramesh Sippy says, "It seems very promising. It will go a long way in bringing people together. This platform will change so many things. It also recognised the technology aspect of… pic.twitter.com/NOy6zK7tWf
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
The World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) kicked off in Mumbai on May 1, 2025. The inaugural edition of the <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2111300:~:text=Artificial%20intelligence%2C%20streaming%20revolutions%2C%20intellectual,equitable%20access%20to%20media%20platforms.">WAVES 2025 summit aims to establish India as a global entertainment hub. Technological advancements that will shape the future of content creation will also be in the spotlight during the summit. These will include Ntrack, an anti-piracy application developed by Bharath Nalubola. The subscription-based app aims to deal with the issue of piracy that has been hitting the Indian film industry hard, affecting several big-ticket movies like Sikandar and Indian 2.
Read Full Story Here: https://news24online.com/entertainment/ntrack-anti-piracy-app-to-be-introduced-at-waves-summit-2025-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work/548148/
Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC attended the event and said, "It will be revolutionary for future generations. It is a game changer not just for the entertainment industry but also for the communication and media industries. I want to congratulate PM Narendra Modi."
#watch | Mumbai | At the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025- WAVES, Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC says, "It will be revolutionary for future generations. It is a game changer not just for the entertainment industry but also for the communication and media industries. I… pic.twitter.com/BEQ5PoJmeA— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
Singer-actor Himesh Reshammiya attended the summit and said, "Our Prime Minister has a fantastic vision... I am highly honoured to be here... This is just the beginning. All of us are blessed to have such a huge platform."
#watch | Mumbai | At the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025- WAVES, Singer-actor Himesh Reshammiya says, "... Our Prime Minister has a fantastic vision... I am highly honoured to be here... This is just the beginning. All of us are blessed to have such a huge… pic.twitter.com/0cYzT5LHqF
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
Filmmaker Boney Kapoor attended the WAVES Summit and said, "It is a fantastic initiative. We had PM Narendra Modi's encouragement. The entire government and the Maharashtra government are backing it. It is a great move to boost the entertainment industry... I appreciate it (speakers paying tribute to Pahalgam terror attack victims at the event). It was a good platform to talk about it because we had people from all across the world. They should know how strongly we feel against what happened there."
#watch | Mumbai | At the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025- WAVES, Filmmaker Boney Kapoor says, "It is a fantastic initiative. We had PM Narendra Modi's encouragement. The entire government and the Maharashtra government are backing it. It is a great move to boost… pic.twitter.com/uyoRjCggnL
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
PM Modi released commemorative postage stamps in the names of five legends of Indian cinema, including Guru Dutt, P. Bhanumathi and Ritwik Ghatak, at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025- WAVES.
Mumbai | PM Modi today released commemorative postage stamps in the names of five legends of Indian cinema, including Guru Dutt, P. Bhanumathi and Ritwik Ghatak, at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025- WAVES pic.twitter.com/bTF24bcNDF
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
PM Modi in his address declared that this is the dawn of the Orange Economy’ in India. “In the coming years, the creative economy can increase its contribution to India's GDP...Today, India is emerging as a global hub for film production, digital content, gaming, fashion, music and live concerts...This is the dawn of the Orange Economy in India,” said PM Modi.
#watch | Mumbai | At WAVES 2025, PM Modi says, "In the coming years, the creative economy can increase its contribution to India's GDP...Today, India is emerging as a global hub for film production, digital content, gaming, fashion, music and live concerts...This is the dawn of… pic.twitter.com/nRDtx1dfvQ
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
PM Modi said, "We must not let humans become robots; we must make them more sensitive and enriched. True human prosperity will not come from information alone — for that, we must give importance to music, art, and dance."
PM Modi in his address advocated for 'Create In India, Create For The World'.
He said, "Our stories have science, fiction, courage. Our treasure basket is very rich and diverse. The big responsibility of WAVES is to keep this in front of the people in the world,” he adds.
We have turned Padma awards into people’s awards. We identified those who work in remote corners of the country. People have accepted in wholeheartedly.”
#watch | "This is the right time for 'Create in India, create for the world'," says PM Modi at WAVES 2025(Source: DD News) pic.twitter.com/XT4MzRf7s6— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
PM Modi said that the world is watching Indian content with sub-titles. He added that India's creativity sector will contribute more to the GDP in the coming years. PM Modi highlighted the boom of 'Orange Economy' in his address.
PM Modi in his address stated that India has a specialty in Content Creation and advocated for 'Create In India'.
“WAVES awards will be launched in the future. India is galloping towards becoming the third-largest economy. Our journey of ‘Viksit Bharat’ has only begun now. Bharat is a country of a billion-plus stories. When Natyashastra was written, it was said that it would give feelings and emotions to the world,” he added.
PM Modi in his address said that the journey for Viksit Bharat has just begun and India is heading towards becoming the third’s largest economy.
#watch | Mumbai | At WAVES 2025, PM Modi says, " In the last century, Indian cinema has been successful in making India popular in every part of the world. This is evident from Raj Kapoor's popularity in Russia, Satyajit Ray's popularity at Cannes, and RRR's success at the… pic.twitter.com/9vcV2iRyp5
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
PM Modi said that WAVE, as a global platform will connect every youth with creative world.
PM Narendra Modi in his inaugural address said, “The Summit Is Roaring With Its Purpose’ from the first day.
"It is a wave of culture, creativity and universal connect. On this wave are riding films, animation, gaming, and the whole universe of creativity. WAVES is such a global platform...it is for every artist. Every creator can join the creative world with a new idea," he added
PM Modi remembered first Indian Feature Film 'Raja Harishchandra' and other cinematic jewels in his address at the summit. PM lauded the creativity of India and its artists.
"Dadadaheb Phalke was its creator. It was his birth anniversary yesterday. Over the last 100 years, Indian cinema has gone places. A.R. Rahman, Rajamouli, Ritwik Ghatak, everyone has made a place in the world for Indian cinema. In the last few years, I have met people from the gaming industry, from stars in front of the camera. Whenever I met you all, I took ideas from you,” he says.
“I experimented a few years ago. Narsi Mehta’s song - Vaishnav jan toh, Gandhiji’s favourite, was sung by world artists during Gandhi 150. The whole world came together. We saw a glimpse of what India’s creative world can do together. Like the rising sun lends its colour to the sky, this summit is roaring with purpose right from the first moment,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi is addressing The First World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.
Speaking at the event, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “WAVES proudly declares that India will be the leader in creativity. It is a movement inspired by the grand vision of PM Narendra Modiji.”
“Our next export is our creativity. Our limitless digital creativity. You have the passion to create a dream. You are creating a cinematic metaverse. Two types of people in the audience today - the creators, those who create an ecosystem for the creators. The third invisible force is the Government of India facilitating this. This is a synergy between the Government of India and the Government of Maharashtra.”
“Maharashtra isn’t just witnessing a change, but leading it,” he added.
Several celebrities graced the day 1 of WAVES Summit. PIB shared the video of stars arriving at the venue.
🎬 Spotlight On! Celebrities take center stage at #wavessummit Legends @iamsrk and @rajinikanth, along with stars Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan, arrive to grace the #waves Summit✨⭐️#wavesummitindia@WAVESummitIndia @MIB_India pic.twitter.com/OLZ436EWWy— PIB India (@PIB_India) May 1, 2025
“Our ancient nation is currently experiencing an unprecedented rejuvenation. Under Modiji’s leadership, it has increased. The tools of AI will be used. Young entertainers will rule the global blockbuster industry. India’s entertainment industry’s current valuation is $28 million. Will reach $100 million over the next few years. Let the stories flow, let the WAVES rise,” Mukesh Ambani Said.
CEO and MD of Reliance Industries Mukesh Ambani stated that PM Modi's presence at WAVES 2025 after Pahalgam Terror Attack sends a strong message of unity.
Speaking on the WAVES Summit, Mukesh Ambani said, "PM Modi gave a green signal for this summit a few months ago and his idea was to amplify India's voice at the world stage. We have representatives from 90 countries. This is Josh of Naya Bharat, bold in its dream and fast in its execution."
Actor Rajinikanth praised PM Modi and said, "After the Pahalgam attack, many told me the government will postpone WAVES. But I have confidence in my PM who can meet any challenge."
The Madhya Pradesh government will launch its film tourism policy at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025.
With initiatives like the `Incredible Madhya Pradesh’ Pavilion, a dance drama titled `Amritasya Madhya Pradesh’, and the launch of the Film Tourism Policy 2025 and AVGC-XR Policy 2025, the state aims to redefine its creative and economic footprint, the official stated.
Anil Kapoor, advisory member on WAVES board, said, “A story which began thousands of years ago. This experience will take us through emotions.”
Speaking the event, Filmmaker SS Rajamouli said, "India has been a land of storytellers for millions of years. We have a million stories from history. Our stories are infinite, and storytelling is in our DNA. No country has such vibrant storytelling. Yet on the international stage ,we are not at par with the US and China because we lack a launch pad, and WAVES is that launch pad."
PM Narendra Modi arrived at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai. He will inauguarate the “World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit” (WAVES) shortly.
Union I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared a photo and provided glimpse of the event that PM Modi will inaugurate shortly.
PM @narendramodi Ji to inaugurate the first World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025. pic.twitter.com/5pOTbRTyOK
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) May 1, 2025
Saif Ali Khan showed excitement on WAVES Summit and said, "It is a wonderful initiative by everybody involved. I am very excited, the thing is connectivity; to connect with not only our country but internationally. We have so many wonderful stories to tell the world."
Actress Priyanka Chopra shares video message on WAVES Summit, in an Instagram post. She said, "India's Time Isn't Coming, It's Already Here."
Read Full Story: https://news24online.com/entertainment/waves-summit-2025-a-bold-step-and-historic-moment-for-india-priyanka-chopra-thanks-pm-modi/548067/
Actor Nushrratt Bharuccha arrived for the event and said, "Our media and cinema are very powerful. When there is so much power, there is also responsibility. I think this is what WAVES will stand for - power and responsibility to impact and influence audiences for the positive ."
#watch | Mumbai | At WAVES 2025, Actor Nushrratt Bharuccha says, "Our media and cinema are very powerful. When there is so much power, there is also responsibility. I think this is what WAVES will stand for - power and responsibility to impact and influence audiences for the… pic.twitter.com/2f9fMJzWlI— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
Playback singer Shaan arrived for the event and said, "I am thrilled and excited for this summit. Artists, content creators and singers from across states have come here today."
#watch | Mumbai | At WAVES 2025, Playback singer Shaan says, "I am thrilled and excited for this summit. Artists, content creators and singers from across states have come here today.""Of course, there is grief in our hearts, but as Raj Kapoor said - 'The show must go on', "he… pic.twitter.com/z8wS3UKWig
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
Actor Jackie Shroff attends WAVES 2025. He said, " It is a great opportunity for the world to unite. It is organised by PM Modi."
#watch | Mumbai | Actor Jackie Shroff attends WAVES 2025—World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025. He says, " It is a great opportunity for the world to unite. It is organised by PM Modi.""I pay my tributes to the families of the Pahalgam terror attack victims. Everyone… pic.twitter.com/92T4SYxgZJ
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
Actor Anupam Kher attends WAVES 2025. He called it a historic moment for India from a cultural point of view.
#watch | Mumbai | Actor Anupam Kher attends WAVES 2025 - World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025, says, "It is a historic moment for India from a cultural point of view." pic.twitter.com/Uw13pLXscy
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
Actors Mohanlal and Akshay Kumar arrived at Jio Convention Centre to attend WAVES 2025.
#watch | Mumbai | Actors Mohanlal and Akshay Kumar arrive at Jio Convention Centre to attend WAVES 2025 - World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025 pic.twitter.com/gdXnFjsTBr
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
Actors Manushi Chhillar and Nimrat Kaur arrived at Jio Convention Centre to attend WAVES 2025.
#watch | Mumbai | Actors Manushi Chhillar and Nimrat Kaur arrive at Jio Convention Centre to attend WAVES 2025 - World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025 pic.twitter.com/BgC6PjqHGh
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
Actor Anil Kapoor arrived at Jio Convention Centre to attend WAVES 2025 summit.
#watch | Actor Anil Kapoor at Mumbai's Jio Convention Centre to attend WAVES 2025 - World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025 to be inaugurated by PM Modi today pic.twitter.com/j8g89r7xTg
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
Actor and film-maker Aamir Khan and actor and Padma Vibhushan recipient Chiranjeevi arrive at Jio Convention Centre to attend WAVES 2025.
#watch | Actor and film-maker Aamir Khan and actor and Padma Vibhushan recipient Chiranjeevi arrive at Jio Convention Centre to attend WAVES 2025 - World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025 pic.twitter.com/qYLkn8JMUc
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
BJP MP Hema Malini, Actor Deepika Padukone and Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga arrive at Jio Convention Centre to attend WAVES 2025.
#watch | Mumbai | BJP MP Hema Malini, Actor Deepika Padukone and Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga arrive at Jio Convention Centre to attend WAVES 2025 - World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025, which will be inaugurated by PM Modi, today pic.twitter.com/2hnlW34LiG
— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
Film-maker Karan Johar and Actor Farhan Akhtar arrive at Jio Convention Centre to attend the four-day WAVES 2025.
#watch | Mumbai | Film-maker Karan Johar and Actor Farhan Akhtar arrive at Jio Convention Centre to attend the four-day WAVES 2025 - World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit 2025, which will be inaugurated by PM Modi, today pic.twitter.com/z90hr2IQHz— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025
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