The North News
Mumbai, May 1
India is not just home to over a billion people, but to a billion stories, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday as he inaugurated WAVES 2025, the country’s first World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit, in Mumbai. Referencing India’s long and textured artistic tradition, Modi invoked Natya Shastra, an ancient Sanskrit treatise attributed to Bharata Muni, as a foundational work that recognised the transformative power of art more than 2,000 years ago. “Every street in India has a story, every mountain sings, and every river hums a tune,” he said. “Six lakh villages across the country preserve their unique storytelling through folklore.”
Highlighting India’s cultural legacy, he spoke of Kalidasa’s Abhijnana-Shakuntalam as a turning point in classical Indian drama and drew a line from India’s earliest epics to its modern cinema. Modi noted the historical release of Raja Harishchandra, India’s first feature film by Dadasaheb Phalke, in 1913, pointing out that Phalke’s birth anniversary was commemorated just a day earlier.
Indian cinema, the Prime Minister said, has long transcended borders — from Raj Kapoor’s fame in Russia to Satyajit Ray’s recognition at Cannes and the Oscar success of RRR. He also praised the contributions of cinematic giants including Guru Dutt, Ritwik Ghatak, A.R. Rahman, and S.S. Rajamouli, stating that their works “carry the soul of India” to audiences around the world. Several of these icons, he added, have been honoured with commemorative stamps — a symbolic recognition of their cultural impact.
At the heart of WAVES, Modi said, lies a vision of collaboration. He recalled engaging with creators from gaming, music, and film over the years, and noted a unique tribute during Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, when artists from 150 countries came together to perform the devotional hymn Vaishnav Jan To. “That global chorus for Gandhi was an artistic expression of unity,” he said.
Calling the inaugural WAVES Summit a resounding success, Modi praised its global reach, stating that the event had already “roared with purpose.” The Creators Challenge and Creatosphere initiative saw participation from around 100,000 professionals across 60 countries, with 800 finalists selected from 32 creative challenges.
He also lauded the Bharat Pavilion and WAVES Bazaar for offering platforms to new artists and helping them connect with emerging markets, describing them as vital steps in strengthening the creative economy.
“From a mother’s lullaby to a composer’s symphony, every act of creativity is a mirror of human emotion,” Modi said, likening artists to dream-weavers for their generation. He urged the industry to maintain its spirit of mentorship and promised the launch of the WAVES Awards, which he said would grow into the most prestigious honours in the global creative space.
Citing India’s economic rise, Modi reminded delegates that the country is poised to become the world’s third-largest economy. “We are No.1 in fintech adoption, the second-largest mobile manufacturer, and have the third-largest startup ecosystem. This is only the beginning,” he said.
