WAVES turns India into a global content hub under ‘Create in India, Create for the World’ vision

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Under the Government of India’s ‘Create in India, Create for the World’ initiative, the WAVES platform is steadily positioning India as a global hub for audio-visual content creation and export.

Replying to questions in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan said the WAVES Market is helping Indian AV content reach global audiences by converting creative capital into jobs, entrepreneurship and export growth.

He explained that WAVES was conceived in line with the government’s vision to make India a world centre for content creation. The platform has provided Indian creators, producers and startups with a unified marketplace to connect with global buyers, investors, OTT platforms and technology leaders from over 100 countries.

As part of this effort, the Create in India Challenges (CIC) were launched to identify and nurture creative talent across 33 challenges spanning animation, gaming, AR/VR, music and related sectors. More than one lakh registrations were received from creators worldwide. Winners are being supported to participate in major international platforms such as Melbourne, Osaka, Toronto, Tokyo, Madrid, Busan and Cannes for showcases and B2B meetings. Similar opportunities are also being extended at national events like IndiaJoy, IGDC and IFFI Goa, strengthening CIC as a key engine for creator discovery and intellectual property creation.

The minister further noted that WAVEX is a startup-driven innovation and incubation platform for the media and entertainment sector, focused on job creation and entrepreneurship. At present, WAVEX is incubating 34 startups through physical and hybrid models, with more than 100 additional applications in the pipeline.

Under the Kalasetu and Bhashasetu Challenges, 10 selected startups are already conducting pilot deployments with government organisations. WAVEX is expected to scale further through institutional partnerships with T-Hub, FITT, IIT Delhi and other institutions, with plans to expand incubation and R&D activities across India in collaboration with partner incubators at IICT, FTII, IIMC and similar institutes.

The government stated that WAVEX incubation centres are being expanded and the Create in India Challenges are being implemented on a continuous basis to strengthen skilling, entrepreneurship and employment generation. Masterclasses, workshops and knowledge sessions by global experts are enhancing the skills of the creative workforce, while sustained global outreach through the WAVES Market aims to convert creative talent into sustainable livelihoods and boost exports of Indian audio-visual content.