India's storytelling legacy is not just soft power; it is real power: Mukesh Ambani

Mumbai: Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani delivered a rousing address at the inaugural session of WAVES 2025 on Thursday, lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and leadership while urging India’s entertainment industry to embrace its global destiny.

Speaking in the presence of PM Modi, Union ministers, and dignitaries from over 90 countries, Ambani set the tone for the four-day World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit by asserting that India's storytelling legacy is not just soft power—it is “real power.”

“India’s victory is certain under your leadership,” Ambani said, referring to the Prime Minister’s appearance at the summit despite a “barbaric terror attack” in Pahalgam. He added, “Your presence today sends a strong message of hope, unity and unshakeable resolve.”

Ambani laid out four key messages:

1. A global cultural mandate: He said WAVES was born from a clear directive by PM Modi to make India a global hub of innovation and collaboration in media and culture. With over 10,000 delegates and participation from 90 countries, “this is the josh of a naya Bharat,” he said.
   
   
2. Storytelling as strategy: Ambani described India’s entertainment industry as a vital force in a divided world, citing epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata as symbols of universal human values. “No nation can match India’s storytelling power,” he declared.
   
   
3. Fusion of tech and tradition: He stressed the power of AI and immersive technologies to elevate India’s creative exports, positioning young Indian creators as future leaders of the global entertainment industry.
   
   
4. $100 billion opportunity: Ambani pegged the current value of India’s M&E industry at $28 billion and projected it could surpass $100 billion within the next decade, unlocking jobs and innovation.
   
   

Closing his address, Ambani promised to make WAVES “the world’s foremost entertainment platform—one with an Indian soul and a global voice,” and called on global creators to come together to “let the stories flow” and “let the WAVES rise.”