The future of India’s Media & Entertainment sector took center stage at the 12th CII Big Picture Summit, where Shri Sanjay Jaju, Secretary at the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, championed a bold, industry-led transformation. With the unveiling of CII’s White Paper on priority reforms, an exclusive Investor Meet with Waves Bazaar, and a heartfelt tribute film honoring industry icons who passed in 2025, the Summit opened with both momentum and emotion.
Addressing the inaugural session, Shri Jaju described the WAVES Summit as a movement, not an event—one that continuously pushes India’s creative community to innovate, evolve, and lead. He emphasized that entertainment, like food and shelter, forms a fundamental pillar of society, nurturing both economic vitality and cultural harmony. With India’s creative economy providing livelihoods to over 10 million people and contributing around Rs 3 lakh crore to national GDP, he highlighted its true value: its power to connect people, cultures, and nations.
Reflecting on India’s storytelling heritage—from oral traditions to modern cinema—Shri Jaju noted that the nation currently commands only 2% of the global M&E market. The challenge, he said, lies in turning India’s creative richness into globally recognized content and commercially successful stories. As artificial intelligence reshapes the future, he urged the industry to embrace AI as an enabler rather than a threat. “If we do not adopt new technologies, our global share will shrink,” he warned, stressing the need for India’s narratives to be seen and heard worldwide.
Shri Jaju reiterated that the government's role is to enable growth, not compete with creators. He highlighted the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) as a successful model where government support and industry expertise merge to foster world-class innovation. He reaffirmed commitments to skill development, incentives, ecosystem strengthening, and leveling the playing field for creators, businesses, and new-age storytellers.
A key moment of the Summit was the release of the CII White Paper—“Priority Policy Reforms for a Globally Competitive Creative Economy of India.” The document provides an extensive, actionable blueprint focused on regulation, talent, infrastructure, export competitiveness, and innovation, setting the tone for a future-ready M&E ecosystem. The event also screened a moving homage film celebrating the lives and contributions of industry legends who passed away in 2025, reminding attendees of the legacy that inspires the next generation.
Industry voices further echoed Shri Jaju’s roadmap. Gaurav Banerjee called for deeper industry–academia collaborations and specialized creative institutions to elevate Indian creators to global stature. Rajan Navani emphasized AI as a creative collaborator and the need for reliable government–industry frameworks, while Gunjan Soni highlighted the rise of digital creative entrepreneurship and the responsibility to ensure safe, empowering platforms. The session was anchored by CII’s Deputy Director General, Amita Sarkar, who steered the discussion with clarity and insight.