PM Modi, SRK, Mukesh Ambani and Rajinikanth roll out the red carpet for India¡¯s entertainment revolution at WAVES

What happens when the Prime Minister, the King of Bollywood, India¡¯s richest man, and a Southern superstar join forces? No, it is not a Marvel multiverse, it is India¡¯s biggest creative flex yet: the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES).

Biggest stars came together for WAVES

Unveiled in Mumbai with maximum drama and dazzle, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah Rukh Khan, Mukesh Ambani, and Rajinikanth came together to set the stage, quite literally, for India¡¯s cultural takeover of the world.

PM @narendramodi, @rajinikanth, @_MukeshAmbani, top Tech CEOs & celebs all under one roof ¡ª #WAVES2025 is nothing short of iconic! A vibrant celebration of tech, talent & transformation. What a colorful experience! #WAVESummitIndia pic.twitter.com/WS1xmptRix

¡ª Budu? (@BuduMalli) May 1, 2025

Modi, who addressed a packed crowd of over 10,000 delegates from 90 countries, made it clear that India¡¯s creative economy is not just an afterthought, it is a strategic priority. Despite heightened security post the recent Jammu & Kashmir terror attack, his attendance sent a strong message: India¡¯s soft power is about to go global.

PM Narendra Modi posts on 'X': "The Bharat Pavilion at Waves showcases our cinematic tradition and the opportunities that await in our country. I call upon the world to come to India and explore the creative opportunities here." pic.twitter.com/CCO46KCWFZ

¡ª ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025

WAVES is a game changing platform: Shah Rukh Khan

SRK, the face of a thousand memes and a million dreams, called WAVES a game-changing platform for creators and dreamers, one backed by serious leadership and a mission to disrupt global storytelling norms. Basically, Bollywood is no longer just song and dance, it is strategy.

SRK¡¯s speech at WAVES leaves a lasting impact on the world¡¯s entertainment industry.#KINGKhanAtWaves pic.twitter.com/VUvJ2DKk6Z

¡ª ?T¦Á?veer?¡ï?§Ô§Ü???¡ï (@Tanvir4srk) May 1, 2025

Mukesh Ambani thinks India was uniquely placed to lead the content-led era

Mukesh Ambani, never one to show up without a mic-drop prediction, forecasted that India¡¯s $28 billion media and entertainment industry could triple in the next decade. He pointed to AI, digital tools, and immersive storytelling as the real disruptors, saying India was uniquely placed to lead the content-tech fusion era.

"India's media, entertainment industry can grow to over $100 billion in next decade": Mukesh Ambani at WAVES Summit
Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/rH3G3s1NYh#MukeshAmbani #WAVESSummit #India pic.twitter.com/yDPpXftYsR

¡ª ANI Digital (@ani_digital) May 1, 2025

And then came Rajinikanth, who brought the vintage gravitas. Describing Modi as a fighter with unmatched resilience, he said India¡¯s time to lead the cultural conversation had arrived.

YouTube to invest Rs 850 crore for the creators

But the real Gen Z mic-drop? YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, who casually dropped a bombshell Rs 850 crore investment over the next two years to turbocharge India¡¯s creator economy. With over 100 million Indian channels uploading content, and 15,000 creators crossing 1 million subscribers, India is now officially a ¡°creator nation,¡± according to Mohan. Last year alone, Indian content clocked 45 billion hours of watch time from international viewers. Yes, you read that right, billion with a ¡®B¡¯.

Add to that Maharashtra¡¯s plan for a brand new 120-acre Media City and revamped Film City, and India is not just shooting movies, it is building an empire.

From Keeravani¡¯s live musical opener to Adobe and Sony CEOs rubbing shoulders with Ranbir Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar, WAVES felt less like a summit and more like a cultural rebranding campaign.