Mukesh Ambani: India’s Not Just Soft Power, It’s Story Power

By Pickle May 2, 2025

Ambani lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s audacious vision with driving India’s transition into a creative superpower.

At the inaugural WAVES 2025 global media and entertainment summit in Mumbai, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, delivered a powerful keynote address, outlining India’s potential to lead a worldwide entertainment revolution. Titled “Building the Next Global Entertainment Revolution from India,” Ambani’s speech positioned India as a storytelling civilization ready to wield its “real power” on the global stage.

“India is not just a nation—it is a civilization of stories, where storytelling is a way of life,” Ambani declared, invoking Mark Twain’s description of India as the “cradle of the human race” and the “great-grandmother of traditions.” He emphasized that storytelling, from ancient epics to modern narratives, is India’s cultural bedrock. “Content is king—and good stories always sell,” he said, underscoring the timeless foundation of the global entertainment industry.

Ambani credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bold vision for inspiring India’s transformation into a creative powerhouse. He described the WAVES summit as a historic milestone, amplifying India’s influence in global culture. “People say Media & Entertainment is India’s soft power—I call it India’s real power,” he asserted, highlighting the sector’s potential to shape perceptions and drive economic growth.

The keynote identified two transformative forces reshaping the creative landscape: the rise of the Global South and technological innovation. With 85% of the world’s population, the Global South is increasingly driving content creation and consumption. Meanwhile, technologies like Artificial Intelligence are revolutionizing entertainment. “AI is dissolving the boundaries between imagination and execution,” Ambani noted, comparing its impact to the advent of cinema a century ago.

India, Ambani argued, is uniquely positioned to lead this revolution through three pillars: compelling content rooted in its storytelling heritage, a dynamic young demography fueling aspiration, and technological leadership driven by the country’s digital revolution. “India’s digital revolution is not just a story of scale—it is a story of ambition and transformation,” he said.

In a world grappling with polarization and uncertainty, Ambani offered a message of hope: “People seek joy, connection, and inspiration. India will answer this global hunger for entertainment.” He concluded by framing WAVES as a beacon of optimism from a “resurgent new India” to the world.

The WAVES 2025 summit, launched on May 1, 2025, marks a pivotal moment for India’s media and entertainment industry, with Ambani’s vision setting the stage for the country to redefine global storytelling.