India to host first 'WAVES summit' in Mumbai from May 1-4: Ashwini Vaishnaw

India will host the first World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai from May 1-4 that will bring together too media CEOs, entertainment icons and creative minds from around the globe.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the dates of WAVES through a post on X, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Advisory Board for the summit.

"This summit will bring together the world's top media CEOs, biggest entertainment icons, and creative minds from around the globe, unifying entertainment, creativity, and culture like never before," Vaishnaw said.

"India is laying the foundation for becoming the creative powerhouse of the world," he said.

On Friday evening, Modi interacted with eminent personalities from various fields that included Amitabh Bachchan and Mukesh Ambani regarding the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES).

Those who participated in the interaction include Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Chiranjeevi, Mohanlal, Rajnikanth, Aamir Khan, AR Rahman, Akshay Kumar, Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Mukesh Ambani and Anand Mahindra.

The WAVES summit is being positioned by the government as India's global event for the entertainment sector to what Davos is for the economic sector.

The summit will spotlight advancements in animation, gaming, entertainment technology, and regional and mainstream cinema, fostering collaborations and setting the stage for India's creative economy to shine globally.

The prime minister has referred to the WAVES event in his Mann ki Baat radio address and compared it with the World Economic Forum at Davos, which is a gathering of global leaders in business and politics.