“Global collaborations on promoting creativity is the way ahead, while understanding the cross-cultural sensitivities of each other.” This was one among the many outcomes of the Global Media Dialogue held in Mumbai during the ongoing World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025).

Widening creative spaces in the countries therefore holds the key to our collective progress as we all tread the path to bridge the digital divide, felt the nations that took part in the dialogue. The dialogue focused on the role of governments in fostering global peace and harmony amid an increasingly globalized media environment, culminating in the adoption of the WAVES Declaration by the member nations.

The Global Media Dialogue echoed the sentiment that films, depicting cultures across the world, hold an immense potential in bringing people closer, and participating nations appreciated the role of Indian films in this regard. As an entertaining format of storytelling, the films act as a strong force to collaborate with each other. Individual stories are also emerging fast as a strong force in the creator’s economy with the confluence of technology in the art of storytelling redefining the entertainment world. Some member nations shared the concerns on the need to enhance “responsible journalism”, which they felt can thus be addressed by mutual collaborations on the forum of WAVES.

Calling the WAVES 2025 as a microcosm of the global community, external affairs minister Dr. S. Jaishankar said that the Summit brings together content creators, policy makers, actors, writers, producers and visual artists on a common platform for discussing a future roadmap for the Media and Entertainment sector.

During his address, Dr. Jaishankar touched upon the broad contours under consideration at the Global Media Dialogue 2025. He noted that the World order, which has a strong cultural dimension, is under transformation today. “It is essential that we give voice to our traditions, heritage, ideas, practices and creativity,” he said.

He stated that technology and tradition must go hand in hand, as technology can strengthen awareness of our vast heritage and deepen consciousness about it, especially for the younger generations. “It is crucial that young talent is made ready for an age of creative collaborations through relevant skill development. Innovation is key to the leapfrogging that will build Viksit Bharat,” he said.

In the emerging era of AI, Dr. Jaishankar stated, the possibilities are beyond imagination, yet there is a need for a responsible use of emerging technologies, while reducing bias, democratizing content and prioritizing its ethics. “For a global workplace and global workforce, there is need for shifts in mindsets, frameworks, policies and practices”, he concluded while reposting confidence in WAVES as a platform to deliberate on the key issues before the global media and entertainment sector.

Setting the tone for the dialogue in his welcome address, minister of information & broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw in his opening remarks said that culture inspires creativity which connects people across borders. He added that content creation and consumption is changing fast as technology is reshaping the way we tell our stories. We are at an inflection point where we need to incentivize local content creation.

Welcoming the delegates from 77 countries to the city of dreams, Mumbai, he stressed on the crucial role of collaborations and asserted that for common success, we need to focus on co-production treaties, joint funds and a declaration which helps us bridge the digital divide, foster brotherhood, global peace and harmony. We need to thus widen the global bridge of creativity to an expressway of ideas, he said.

During the deliberations, where senior-most Ministerial-level delegations expressed their views, India informed participating nations about the 32 Create in India challenges, which resulted in identification of over 700 top creators from across the globe in the first season of WAVES. India informed the members that from the next edition, these challenges will be conducted in 25 global languages so that creative talent can be identified from across the globe in different languages. This will help them showcase their creative content at WAVES forum.

Other dignitaries gracing the occasion included Dr. L. Murugan, Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, along with Shri Sanjay Jaju, Secretary (I&B), besides other senior officers of the Government of India.