WAVES 2025 brought India’s media and entertainment sector into sharp international focus, with organisers reporting participation from more than 90 countries and nearly 100,000 attendees. The World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit positioned India as a converging hub for creators, investors and industry leaders, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to ‘Create in India, Create for the World’. The event drew over 10,000 delegates, 1,000 creators, more than 300 companies and over 350 startups.
WAVES 2025 global creative showcase
Organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, WAVES combined conferences, exhibitions and awards to present a comprehensive view of India’s creative economy. A central feature was CreatoSphere, an immersive innovation hub that put creators at the centre. CreatoSphere spanned film, VFX, virtual reality, animation, gaming, comics, music, broadcasting and digital media and aimed to convert creative ideas into scalable experiences.
Another headline initiative, CIC Season‑I, billed as India’s largest creative talent movement, achieved significant reach. The season ran across 33 categories, attracted over 100,000 entries from India and more than 60 countries, and produced some 750 finalists who were showcased across eight creative zones at WAVES. The initiative reinforced India’s capacity to organise large creator‑led competitions and to surface diverse talent for global opportunities.
Prime Minister Modi engaged directly with young creators during the summit and attended demonstrations of winning innovations. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recognised more than 150 creators at the WAVES Creator Awards, signalling sustained government support for nurturing a competitive creative economy.
Startups, investment and market access
WaveX, the WAVES startup initiative, set out to support over 200 startups and to connect them with international industry players. More than 30 startups pitched to representatives from Microsoft, Amazon and Lumikai, while almost 100 showcased solutions at exhibition booths. Between August and November 2025, the WAVES Bazaar outreach programme ran activities at 12 major international events across four continents and participated in four key domestic industry events. Those efforts have translated into potential business and investment conversations totalling around Rs 4,334 crore.
The summit’s blend of showcase and matchmaking opportunities was designed to convert interest into contracts, co‑productions and distribution partnerships. For international investors and distributors, WAVES offered a concentrated introduction to India’s creative pipeline, from high‑end VFX and feature films to animation, immersive experiences and gaming studios.
Organisers emphasised that WAVES was not simply a festival. It aimed to be an engine for industry collaboration, talent development and international market access. By combining government backing with private sector participation, the summit sought to create commercial pathways for creators and to attract further capital and technology partnerships.
As India pushes its ‘Create for the World’ vision, WAVES 2025 showcased both the country’s creative depth and its readiness to engage global partners. The combination of talent discovery, startup acceleration and investment outreach suggests the summit will remain a focal point for the sector as stakeholders pursue export opportunities and cross‑border collaborations.
Key Takeaways:
- WAVES 2025 attracted over 90 countries and about 100,000 attendees, showcasing India’s push to ‘Create for the World’ with major industry participation.
- Initiatives such as CreatoSphere, CIC Season‑I and WaveX highlighted creator-centric innovation, talent recognition and startup engagement.
- The summit generated prospective deals worth around Rs 4,334 crore and gave startups access to global leaders including Microsoft and Amazon.
