Mukesh Ambani's 4-point agenda to make India a global entertainment powerhouse

Mumbai: At the inaugural edition of the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani laid out a sweeping vision for India to lead the next global entertainment revolution. 

In a keynote, Ambani presented a four-point action plan aimed at scaling India's media and entertainment industry fivefold to $100 billion in the next decade.

Delivering his address at the Jio World Centre, Ambani emphasised the historical significance of the moment, calling it a “pioneering and historic” occasion for India’s creative industries.

The four action points for India’s entertainment future

1. Seize the $100 billion opportunity:  

Ambani urged India to capitalise on the massive economic and creative potential of its media sector. “India’s media and entertainment industry today stands at $28 billion—we can easily grow this five times to over $100 billion in the next decade,” he said. 

He called for the creation of state-of-the-art content clusters, large-scale training in VFX and animation, IP creation incentives, AI innovation, gamification, and a regulatory environment that promotes imagination and inclusion.

2. Think global, create for the world:  

Ambani encouraged Indian creators, including regional talents, to develop content for global audiences. Citing past successes—from Raj Kapoor’s popularity in Russia to Aamir Khan’s ‘Dangal’ in China—he said Indian stories have universal appeal. He highlighted the IPL’s global viewership as an example of how Indian entertainment can transcend borders.

3. Foster global partnerships:  

Calling on Indian creators to collaborate with international studios, artists, and entrepreneurs, Ambani said, “India should become the modern global centre for content and creativity.” He emphasised that partnerships are key to India’s ambitions on the world stage.

4. Build a harmonious world through storytelling:  

Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s G20 motto, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (The world is one family), Ambani said India can offer “hope, happiness, and wholesome entertainment” to a polarised and uncertain world. “This is not just an economic or cultural opportunity—it is a strategic one,” he said.

India’s trifecta advantage: Content, demography, technology

Ambani underscored India’s strengths across three pillars:

- Content: A rich heritage of storytelling rooted in epics like the ‘Ramayana’ and ‘Mahabharata’;

- Demography: A 1.4 billion-strong population with an average age of 29, making India both a creative and consumer powerhouse;

- Technology: Leadership in VFX and digital infrastructure, including 5G (and soon, 6G), backed by Jio’s expansive reach.

JioHotstar and the future of digital entertainment

Ambani spotlighted JioHotstar, born from a partnership with Disney, as central to India’s push toward global leadership in digital storytelling. “Its technology stack is unrivalled… we aim to equal, even surpass, the impact of leading global creators,” he said.

He credited Jio with democratising access to high-speed internet and setting global standards in multi-language, interactive, immersive streaming experiences, particularly in sports.

A cultural powerhouse on the rise

Celebrating Indian film legends like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Rajinikanth, Ambani praised India’s artists as “cultural ambassadors” whose influence has spread across continents. “Some call this soft power, but I call this India’s real power,” he remarked.

Closing his keynote, Ambani expressed a heartfelt wish: that the newly launched WAVES platform would send a message of hope to the world. “India can satisfy the global hunger for uplifting content better than any other country,” he said.