The World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit, also known as the WAVES Summit, is being held in Mumbai starting today (May 1).
The summit, which features speakers from the film and media industries, aims to boost the potential of India’s media and entertainment sector, which reached a revenue of ₹2.5 lakh crore in 2024.
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This four-day event 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 around the world.
The event invests heavily in inviting influential celebrities and global personalities to participate in the summit.
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While the initiative sounds promising and will likely contribute to the growth of the creative industry in India and strengthen its global standing, not everyone is on board with the approach.
Some users took to social media to express their concerns, arguing that instead of spending large sums on inviting influencers, the Indian creative industry might benefit more from providing grants to authors and creators to support original projects.
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They pointed out that rather than inviting digital influencers to speak about creativity in the digital age and well-known celebrities, the summit could also highlight voices of specialised creators, artists, and authors with real expertise in their fields.
While global expansion is important, the government also needs to focus on strengthening the creative ecosystem within India itself.
Most of the Indian films that have received international recognition at global film festivals were not backed by the government, yet the authorities are quick to take credit for their success.
There should be a balance between fostering homegrown creators through government support and promoting Indian media on the world stage.
We cannot promote mediocre content on international platforms in the name of representation. Hopefully, the WAVES Summit acknowledges this and actively works toward nurturing genuine creative talent from the grassroots.
