February 13, New Delhi – WAVES was organized in line with the government’s vision of making India a global hub for content creation under the “Create in India, Create for the World” initiative. The summit provided an integrated platform for Indian creators, producers, and startups to engage with global buyers, investors, OTT platforms, and technology leaders from over 100 countries.
Information about WAVES, including the launch of initiatives such as the Create in India Challenges (CIC), WaveX, and WAVES Bazaar, was provided by L. Murugan, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, in the Rajya Sabha in response to a question raised by Deepak Prakash, Ujjwal Deorao Nikam, and Kesridevsinh Jhala.
The CIC, a nationwide creative talent identification and nurturing initiative comprising 33 creative challenges across categories such as animation, gaming, AR/VR, and music, attracted over one lakh registrations from creators worldwide. The winners are being supported for participation, showcasing, and B2B meetings at major international platforms, including Melbourne, Osaka, Toronto, Tokyo, Madrid, Busan, and Cannes. Similar opportunities were provided at national events such as IndiaJoy, IGDC, and IFFI Goa, positioning CIC as a key engine for creator discovery and intellectual property creation.
WaveX, a startup-led innovation and incubation platform for the media and entertainment sector, supports job creation and entrepreneurship. Currently, WaveX is incubating 34 startups under physical and hybrid models, with an additional pipeline of more than 100 applications. Ten startups selected under the KalaaSetu and BhashaSetu challenges are already executing pilot deployments with government organizations. WaveX is expected to scale substantially through institutional partnerships with T-Hub, Hyderabad, and FITT, IIT Delhi, aimed at pan-India incubation and R&D, along with partner incubators at IICT, FTII, IIMC, and other institutes.
WAVES Bazaar has been operationalized as a year-round digital marketplace facilitating B2B meetings, licensing, co-productions, and international market access for Indian audio-visual content. Currently, WAVES Bazaar has more than 6,000 sellers and over 4,000 registered buyers and companies, enabling over 8,000 B2B meetings. It continues as a sustained platform for market access and business engagement. Additionally, through participation in more than ten international markets across four continents, WAVES Bazaar facilitated B2B meetings and the signing of multiple MoUs, supporting co-productions, licensing, investment partnerships, and global market access.
Expansion of WaveX incubation centers and sustained implementation of the Create in India Challenges are being undertaken to further strengthen skilling, entrepreneurship, and employment generation. Masterclasses, workshops, and knowledge sessions by global experts contribute significantly to upskilling the creative workforce. Continued global outreach through WAVES Bazaar is envisaged to translate creative talent into sustainable livelihoods and growth in exports of Indian audio-visual content.
(Source: Ministry of Information & Broadcasting)