Parliament Question: Assessment of role of WAVES

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1689 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2026 ASSESSEMENT OF ROLE OF WAVES 1689: SHRI DEEPAK PRAKASH SHRI UJJWAL DEORAO NIKAM SHRI KESRIDEVSINH JHALA

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state: a) whether Government has assessed the role of World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in promoting Indian content creators and production capabilities on global platforms;

b) if so, the steps taken to leverage the Summit outcomes for export of Indian audio-visual content; c) whether the Summit supported employment generation and skill development in the media and entertainment sector; and d) if so, the details of measures proposed to be taken in this regard? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS.

(DR. L. MURUGAN)

(a) to (d):

WAVES was organised 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.

The Create in India Challenges (CIC), a nationwide creative talent identification and nurturing initiative through 33 creative challenges in categories such as animation, gaming, AR/VR and music, attracted over one lakh registrations from creators across the world. The winners are being supported for participation, showcasing and B2B meetings at major international platforms including Melbourne, Osaka, Toronto, Tokyo, Madrid, Busan and Cannes. This opportunity was also provided at national events such as India Joy, 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. At present, WaveX is incubating 34 startupsunder physical and hybrid models, with an additional pipeline of more than 100 applications.

10 startups selected under the KalaaSetu and BhashaSetu challenges are already executing pilot deployments with government organizations. WaveX is expected to scale substantially through its institutional partnerships, with T-Hub, Hyderabad, and FITT, IIT Delhi, aimed at a pan- India incubation and R&D along with partner incubators at IICT, FTII, IIMC and other institutes.

WAVES Bazaar has been operationalised as a year-round digital marketplace facilitating B2B meetings, licensing, co-productions and international market access for Indian audio-visual content. At present, WAVES Bazaar has more than 6,000 sellers and over 4,000 registered buyers and companies, enabling over 8,000 B2B meetings. It is being continued as a sustained platform for market access and business engagement. Further to WAVES, through 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 centres 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 contributes 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.

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