Dawn of orange economy, India emerging as global hub for creative content, says Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pointed to India's growing influence in the world creative economy, declaring the dawn of the "Orange Economy" as the country rapidly emerges as a hub for film-making, digital content, gaming, fashion, music, and live performances.

In speaking at the inaugural WAVES Summit (World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit) held in Mumbai, the Prime Minister stated that creative industries are leading a new period of cultural and economic dynamism for India.

To the world's creators – dream big and tell your tale. To the investors – invest in human beings, not platforms alone. To young India – spread your one billion unheard stories across the world," said PM Modi during his keynote speech, making a call of entry for the content ecosystem.

He watched how OTT platforms were increasing in India and said, "Screen sizes might be diminishing, but their reach is growing. The screen might be minuscule, but the message is gigantic!"

The Prime Minister reiterated that young people in India could make this creativity explosion happen. "I believe in young content creators. Their hearts are not burdened with baggage and limitations, and this makes their imagination infinite," he said.

Referring to WAVES as a celebration of global cultural exchange and creative freedom, PM Modi added, "It is more than an acronym. WAVES represents the global wave of creativity, culture, and connection India is riding."

Stressing India's strong storytelling tradition, he said the country has over a billion stories to be told. "This is the opportune moment to create in India and create for the world. While the world is searching for new ways to tell stories, India has a huge reservoir of ageless stories, rich in thought and emotion."

Modi also looked back on his previous interactions with creatives from a variety of creative fields like gaming, filmmaking, music, and digital arts. He included that those discussions would be about India's untapped creative potential as well as opportunities for international co-creation.

In a reference to India's cinematic tradition, the Prime Minister spoke of how May 3 is 112 years after the release of Raja Harishchandra, India's first feature film, directed by Dadasaheb Phalke. "It was his dream which gave Indian cinema a journey that has made it resonate globally," Modi said, in reference to the coincidence with Phalke's birthday anniversary yesterday.

The WAVES Summit, he added, is a heartening step in establishing an international creative ecosystem where artists, investors, and policymakers from over 100 nations gather to forge new connections and celebrate creativity and innovation.