WAVES Bazaar sees Rs 250-crore worth of deals and global alliances: Jaju

Mumbai: The WAVES Bazaar, a flagship initiative of the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025), has stormed onto the international media landscape with over Rs 250 crore worth of deals signed within the first 36 hours of opening. 

In what could mark a strategic shift in global content commerce, the inaugural edition of the market platform has positioned India as a formidable hub for cross-border media partnerships.

Conceived as a convergence point for creators, investors, buyers, and storytellers, the WAVES Bazaar attracted participation from 22 countries including the United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea, Russia, and New Zealand. 

According to Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, the total deal value is projected to exceed Rs 400 crore by the close of the event.

From May 1 to 3, the Bazaar played host to 95 global buyers and 224 sellers, including major international and Indian entertainment giants like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Meta, Disney Star, Zee Entertainment, Banijay Asia, Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony LIV, YRF, Dharma Productions, Jio Studios, and representatives from the Rotterdam Film Festival and Rushlake Media.

Billed as India’s first dedicated B2B buyer-seller marketplace for the M&E sector in association with FICCI, the WAVES Bazaar facilitated high-stakes business conversations and creative partnerships through structured meetings, pitch sessions, and screenings.

Among the most headline-worthy announcements was the €30 million Indo-European Animation Alliance between India’s Broadvision Perspectives and Europe’s Fabrique d’Images Group. 

The agreement signed by Broadvision Founder Sriram Chandrasekaran and FDI Group COO Mark Mertens covers the co-production of four animated feature films under Indo-French and Indo-Belgian treaty frameworks. Each title is budgeted at €7–8 million, setting a new benchmark for animation collaborations from India.

Meanwhile, in a powerful example of transnational storytelling, India and the UK inked an MoU to co-develop a slate of factual series exploring India’s colonial past. The collaboration between Amanda Groom (The Bridge, UK) and Munjal Shroff (Graphiti Studios, India) was born out of years of cross-market engagements, including Film Bazaar and Content India.

Japan’s TV Asahi announced a dedicated “Shin chan India Year”, celebrating the franchise's cult status in the country. The initiative includes the theatrical release of Shin chan: Our Dinosaur Diary on May 9, followed by The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers in India during Diwali. Fan engagement events are planned for Anime India in August and Mela Mela JAPAN in September. 

The move reflects India's growing influence in the global anime economy and reinforces cultural ties with Japan.

The business of storytelling: Viewings, pitches, and more

The WAVES Viewing Room showcased 115 completed projects, with 15 standout titles selected as "Top Selects" for live screenings. Celebrated casting director Mukesh Chhabra felicitated the chosen filmmakers, with actor Tiger Shroff joining the event to support one of the featured titles. Khidki Gaon, one of the Top Selects, secured a post-production and VFX funding deal from the Asian Cinema Fund, a Busan International Film Festival initiative.

In the Pitch Room, 16 curated early-stage projects, shortlisted from 104 submissions, were presented to global stakeholders, giving fresh creators direct access to decision-makers and co-production avenues.

Will India’s content market find global currency?

The early success of the WAVES Bazaar reinforces the narrative that India’s soft power, content innovation, and market scale are now ripe for global export. 

The robust participation from European and Asian players, combined with tangible outcomes in film, animation, music, and VFX, suggest a future where India is no longer just a content consumer, but a lead collaborator in the creation of the world’s entertainment.

As the Summit enters its final phase, the WAVES Bazaar has already done what few first-time markets can claim: deliver results, spark collaborations, and declare India open for creative business.