Create in India, create for world, PM Modi tells global media summit

“It (stories) is not only about culture, but also about science, sports, valour, fiction, courage. India’s storytelling landscape blends science with fiction, and heroism with innovation, forming a vast and diverse creative ecosystem. Our treasure is huge and to take it to every corner of the world, present it to a new generation is a responsibility of the WAVES platform,”  he said.

WAVES 2025, a four-day summit with the tagline ‘Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries’, is poised to position India as a global hub for media, entertainment and digital innovation by bringing together creators, startups, industry leaders, and policymakers from across the world.

Modi said that WAVES is merely not an acronym but a real wave of culture, creativity and universal connectivity. “The summit showcases the expansive world of films, music, gaming, animation, and storytelling, offering a global platform for artists and creators to connect and collaborate,” he said.  Recalling the release of India’s first motion film Raja Harishchandra, produced by Dadasaheb Phalke, 112 years ago this day, Modi said that each artiste from Satyajit Ray, Raj Kapoor, Ritwik Ghatak to AR Rahman and Rajamouli, brought Indian culture to life for millions worldwide.

“I believe that this platform will connect creators, animators to global visionaries, gamers will be turned into global champions… I welcome global investors to make India a content playground,” he said.

Appealing to the global creators, Modi said, “India’s civilisational openness has welcomed communities like Parsis and Jews, who have thrived in the country and become an integral part of its cultural fabric… every nation has its own successes and contributions. India’s strength lies in respecting and celebrating global artistic achievements, reinforcing the country’s commitment to creative collaboration.”

He highlighted a unique initiative undertaken during Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, where singers from 150 countries came together to perform “Vaishnav Jan To”, a hymn written by Narsinh Mehta nearly 500 years ago. He stated that this global artistic effort created a significant impact, bringing the world together in harmony.

Highlighting India’s rapid economic growth, Modi mentioned that the Orange Economy has three pillars — content, creativity and culture. “India’s creative economy will add to India’s GDP,” he said.

He also announced that the Waves awards will be launched soon and said these will be the most prestigious in the world of arts and creativity.

“India had started the Padma awards a few years after Independence, but we turned it to People’s Padma. We identified those who are working in the grassroots, among people in the corners of the country. It changed the tradition of Padma and the country accepted it with an open heart. This is no longer a mere ceremony but a festival of the country,” he said.

Similarly, the Prime Minister said, WAVES will serve as a global platform for India’s immense creative talent across films, music, animation, and gaming, ensuring that artists from every part of the country find recognition on an international stage.

Elaborating on creative responsibility, he said, “The role of technology is growing in people’s lives and extra efforts are needed to keep human emotions intact. We cannot let humans become robots. We need to make them sensitive, and enrich them. They will not become enriched through technology, but songs, music, art and dance.”