PM Modi to inaugurate first WAVES summit in Mumbai on Thursday

New Delhi | Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai on Thursday, a four-day event that will bring together the entire spectrum of the media and entertainment industry.

The prime minister is also expected to interact with top leaders of the media and entertainment industry during the summit, which is also aimed at giving a boost to the creator's economy taking shape across the world.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will also address the inaugural session of the summit, which is expected to witness participation from top actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Mohanlal, Hema Malini, and Chiranjeevi, among others.

The summit will feature theme-based plenaries and discussions aimed at shaping the future of the audio-visual industry in India and beyond.

The first two days will focus on cinema, filmmaking, and marketing, while the next two days will witness business meetings and participation from the general public.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to chair the Global Media Dialogue which will see participation from ministers, leaders of the media industry and policymakers from across the world.

The first WAVES Awards to winners of 32 challenges announced in the run-up to the summit will also be given away at the event organised at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai.

Mumbai is expected to be the permanent venue of the WAVES summit, billed as the biggest gathering of the media and entertainment industry, similar to what World Economic Forum meeting at Davos is for the business and economy sectors, officials said.

Day one will open with a high-profile panel discussion titled 'Legends and Legacies: The Stories That Shaped India's Soul', featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Mithun Chakraborty, Rajinikanth, Mohanlal, and Chiranjeevi. The session will be moderated by actor Akshay Kumar.

Another highlight will be 'The New Mainstream: Breaking Borders, Building Legends', a panel with filmmaker S S Rajamouli, actors Anil Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal, and music maestro AR Rahman, moderated by producer-director Karan Johar.

A much-anticipated chat between Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar, titled 'The Journey: From Outsider to Ruler', will delve into the actor's inspiring career.

Key issues on the agenda include regulating broadcasting in the digital age, copyright for audio-visual performers and content creators, the role of artificial intelligence in media, the future of theatrical releases, and the evolution of the AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality) sector.