“India is not just a nation—it is a civilization of stories, where story-telling is a way of life”, said Shri Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, as he delivered the keynote address at WAVES 2025, the pioneering global media and entertainment summit started in Mumbai today.
Quoting the celebrated American writer, Mark Twain, Shri Ambani referred to India as “the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of traditions.” Emphasizing that storytelling is deeply woven into the fabric of Indian life, he stated, “From our timeless epics to mythological tales, storytelling is our heritage. Content is king—and good stories always sell. This timeless principle is the foundation of global entertainment.”
In a rousing and forward-looking address titled “Building the Next Global Entertainment Revolution from India,” Ambani envisioned a future where India becomes the epicentre of the world’s entertainment industry. He credited the bold vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for inspiring this transformation and hailed the WAVE Summit as a historic step in that direction. “People say Media & Entertainment is India’s soft power—I call it India’s real power,” said Ambani, affirming the country’s rising influence in global culture and creativity.
He identified two tectonic shifts reshaping the creative landscape: geo-economics and technology. As the economic might of the Global South surges—home to 85% of the world’s population—so does its role in content creation and consumption. At the same time, cutting-edge technologies like Artificial Intelligence are revolutionizing every stage of the entertainment value chain, from content creation to distribution. “AI is dissolving the boundaries between imagination and execution. What AI is doing for entertainment today is a million times more transformative than what the silent camera did for cinema a century ago”, he flagged.
Highlighting India’s unique strengths, Ambani said that the country is poised to lead the entertainment revolution, powered by three pillars; Compelling Content, Dynamic Demography and Technological Leadership. “India’s digital revolution is not just a story of scale—it is a story of aspiration, ambition, and transformation,” he declared.
Concluding his keynote, Ambani offered a message of optimism: “In a polarized and uncertain world, people seek joy, connection, and inspiration. India will answer this global hunger for entertainment. Let WAVES be the message of hope from a resurgent new India to the world.”
