Mukesh Ambani Pitches India As Global Storytelling Leader At WAVES 2025

At the inaugural session of the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 in Mumbai, Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani urged India to lead the global entertainment and cultural economy. He called India’s rich storytelling tradition the country’s “real power” in a divided world.

Addressing over 10,000 delegates from 90 countries, Ambani said India is set to become the “world’s foremost entertainment platform — one with an Indian soul and a global voice.”

WAVES, launched as India’s premier platform to showcase its creative and technological strengths, has backing from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, led by Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Ambani highlighted the sector’s economic potential. “India’s media and entertainment industry is today valued at $28 billion. It can grow to over $100 billion in the next decade,” he said. He stressed that this growth will boost entrepreneurship, create millions of jobs, and support other sectors.

Citing India’s 5,000-year-old civilisational legacy, Ambani said no country matches its storytelling depth. He referred to the Ramayana, Mahabharata, folklore, and classical texts as core to India’s cultural strength. “Let us take our stories globally to heal a divided world,” he urged.

He also credited India’s rise as a digital powerhouse to Modi’s vision. Ambani said India’s ability to merge ancient narratives with AI and immersive technologies is unique. He expressed confidence that Indian creators will soon dominate global entertainment.

WAVES as a Platform for Soft Power and Innovation

The WAVES platform aims to project India’s soft power for both cultural and strategic gains. It also targets large-scale export of Indian intellectual property. “This is not just a cultural or creative opportunity — it is a strategic and economic opportunity as well,” Ambani said.

He described WAVES as a symbol of “Naya Bharat” — bold and fast-moving. “This is the josh of New India,” he added, praising both central and Maharashtra state leadership.

Ambani ended with a call for global collaboration. He said WAVES will become a meeting ground for “dreamers, makers, and changemakers,” positioning India as a cultural superpower.

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