Waves Bazaar: A Turning Point for India’s Creative Economy

By Pickle April 3, 2025

With the announcement of $1 billion in funding, global co-productions, and AI-powered content expansion, Waves Bazaar is set to transform India’s creative economy.

By Ashish SK

For years, India has been a powerhouse of creativity, talent, and innovation in media and entertainment. However, we have always found ourselves traveling to different corners of the world to showcase our work, seek collaborations, and secure funding. This changes now. The Waves Summit, happening from May 1-4, 2025, at the Jio Center in Mumbai, brings an unprecedented opportunity for India’s media and entertainment sector. At the heart of this event is Waves Bazaar, a dynamic marketplace that will serve as a catalyst for growth, international partnerships, and the global expansion of Indian content.

A Unified Platform for a Diverse Industry

The Waves Bazaar is a revolutionary concept. Traditionally, professionals in film, OTT, television, animation, gaming, VFX, comics, advertising, and events had to participate in multiple global markets, traveling far and wide to connect with potential collaborators. With Waves Bazaar, all these verticals converge in one place, offering a seamless environment to network, fund projects, and create business opportunities.

For small studios, freelancers, and emerging content creators, this platform provides direct access to international production and distribution. The announcement of $1 billion funding will fuel fresh ideas, supporting both individuals and companies in their creative pursuits. Whether it’s signing co-production agreements, selling content, or securing international outsourcing deals, Waves Bazaar is designed to empower and elevate every stakeholder in the industry.

Empowering India’s Soft Power

The global recognition of Indian storytelling, animation, and game development has grown exponentially. We are no longer just a service provider; we are creators of intellectual property with immense cultural significance. India has signed co-production agreements with 16 countries, and at Waves Bazaar, we will take this collaboration further, developing international partnerships that will redefine how our content is produced and distributed.

Beyond business, the event is also fostering talent through skill-based competitions in animation, XR, gaming, and other creative fields. Over the last few months, more than 30 challenges have taken place across different cities in India, culminating in the Waves Summit. This is proof that the vision of Waves has expanded beyond a business event—it is a movement that is empowering artists, folk creators, and digital content makers to reach new heights.

AI and the Future of Creativity

Artificial Intelligence is often viewed with skepticism, with many fearing it will replace jobs. However, at Waves, we will demonstrate how AI is not a threat but an enabler. Those who embrace AI in their production processes will thrive, as it offers cost efficiency, improved quality, and faster content creation. AI-driven localization will allow Indian content to be instantly adapted into multiple languages, breaking global barriers and making our stories more accessible worldwide.

Through Waves Bazaar, we are also forging a strong connection between India’s IT industry and media sector. The combination of creative arts and technology is the future, and this platform will showcase how these two industries can collaborate to redefine content production, distribution, and consumption on a global scale.

From a Consumer Economy to a Creative Powerhouse

Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for India’s media and entertainment sector is clear: we must shift from being a consumer economy to a creator economy. Today, our contribution to the global entertainment industry is around 2-3%. With the structured approach of Waves and its long-term vision, we have the potential to capture 12-20% of the global market within the next five years.

This is just the beginning. Waves Bazaar is not a one-time event; it is the foundation of a continuous effort to establish India as a leader in media and entertainment. For the first time, our industry has a unified platform where businesses, artists, and entrepreneurs can find the resources, support, and opportunities to take their work to the world stage.

The Indian creative industry has waited for this moment for a long time. Now, with Waves Bazaar, we are not just participating in the global market—we have a vision to shape it.

(Ashish SK is the Founder of Punnaryug Artvision & Screenyug Creation. He also serves as the Chairman of FICCI AVGC-XR Forum)