The Ministry of Information Broadcasting featured Kiran Mazumdar Shaw's keynote at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), focusing on India's role in global creativity. Highlighting the need for a shift beyond traditional film-making, she encouraged Indian startups to innovate by building brands, ecosystems, and intellectual property that can create significant international impact through technology-infused cultural storytelling.
Mazumdar Shaw emphasized the potential of blending traditional heritage with modern technology, drawing parallels with George Lucas's adaptation of Indian epics for Star Wars. She celebrated India's smartphone penetration among a tech-savvy population (Gen-Z), positioning it as pivotal for innovation.
She advocated strong focus from innovators in this decade to potentially triple the Orange Economy—media and entertainment sector's contribution to GDP—from $20 billion today, aiming to reach one trillion dollars by 2047. This aligns with Prime Minister Modi’s vision and aims to empower creators alongside startups through a culture of originality and persistence, emphasizing that success often stems from overcoming failures in the journey.
Lastly, recognizing new frontiers like AR, VR, and immersive experiences as catalysts for future innovations, she envisioned "unicorns" not just as traditional apps but as creators proficient in IP management, technology understanding, and storytelling techniques. Calling out to Indian creativity beyond diaspora appeal, she urged a move towards global relevance.
Overall, Shaw's message underscored the importance of embracing tradition with technology innovation for India to lead globally, and celebrated the potential of creators and startups driving this change ahead.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Information Broadcasting: A governmental body under which Kiran Mazumdar Shaw was associated.
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw: Global business leader and founder of Biocon who spoke at the WAVES summit in Mumbai.
WAVES (World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit): An inaugural event held the second day where Kiran Mazumdar Shaw was a speaker.
Jio World Centre, Mumbai: The venue where the WAVE summit took place in Mumbai, India.
Biocon: A company founded by Kiran Mazumdar Shaw specializing in biotechnology.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi: Indian politician who has a dream for an increased Orange Economy reaching 1 Trillion dollars by 2047, as mentioned by Kiran Mazumdar Shaw.
The Orange Economy: An economic sector that includes media and entertainment contributing to the GDP of India.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw charts India’s creative future
at WAVES, says startups should think beyond films
and build brands that create global waves
It’s time for India to create new stories that blend
tradition and technology: Shaw
Posted On: 02 MAY 2025 8:17PM by PIB Mumbai
Mumbai, 2 May 2025
Global business leader and Biocon Founder Kiran Mazumdar Shaw on Friday said that the Indian Startups
involved in creative content sector should think beyond films and build brands, ecosystems, and intellectual
property that create global waves. She was talking at an In Conversation session on the second day of the
inaugural edition of the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) at the Jio World Centre, Mumbai.
Kicking off the discussion with Maneet Ahuja, Editor-at-Large at Forbes, on the theme “India's Innovation
Renaissance: The Next Decade of Global-First Startups,” Mazumdar Shaw spoke about the global potential of
Indian narratives. Referring to the Ramayana, she said, “It’s time for India to create new stories that blend tradition
and technology. Just as George Lucas drew inspiration from Indian epics for Star Wars, we can use technology to
transform our cultural heritage into global franchises.”
Touching on India’s demographic and digital strengths, she said, “With over a billion smartphones and a tech-
savvy Gen Z, India is poised for global innovation. But like any blockbuster, success starts small — with an idea,
strategy, and relentless focus.” She drew parallels with her own journey of starting Biocon in a garage and building
it into a global biotech force.
Talking about the India’s creative economy, she said that those in the filed should focus on the growth of the so-
called Orange Economy which has immense potential. “The media and entertainment sector contributes 20 billion
dollar to the GDP today. We must aim for a 100 billion dollar, and eventually, for a 1 Trillion dollar OrangeEconomy by 2047, which will resonate with the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Shaw said.
Empowering Creators and Startups
Responding to questions on India’s creative edge, Shaw highlighted the convergence of AR, VR, and immersive
experiences as key frontiers. “The next unicorns won’t just be apps — they’ll be creators who understand IP, tech,
and immersive storytelling,” she noted. Citing examples like Naatu Naatu song in the movie RRR, she said that
Indian creativity must go beyond diaspora appeal. “It must become globally relevant,” she added.
She urged startups to embrace originality and persistence: “Every great idea starts small. What matters is how far
you take it. Failure is part of the journey.”
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PIB TEAM WAVES 2025 | Rajith/ LekshmiPriya/ Riyas/ Darshana | 153
(Release ID: 2126329)