Global media dialogue backs cultural collaboration, ethical storytelling

Mumbai: The financial capital at the centre of international media conversation as it was the venue for the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025), which converged creators, policymakers, and thought leaders worldwide. During the second day on Friday in the Global Media Dialogue, participating countries underscored the necessity of global cooperation to advance creativity, protect cultural heritage, and create an open media ecosystem.

Conducted against the background of a more digital and connected world, the Dialogue concentrated on expanding creative space as an essential approach to close the digital divide and facilitate collective advancement. The delegates emphasised that although innovation and technology have revolutionised storytelling, they have to be supported by cultural adaptability, ethical values, and inclusivity.

The Dialogue stressed on the universal potential of cinema, with Indian cinema being specially honoured for its capacity to bridge cultures and communities across borders. The Indian government presented its “Create in India” initiative in this context, its vision to be a global creative movement. Among the major announcements was the addition of its content creation challenges to 25 global languages, taking its reach and intent to spot and develop multiple talent pools globally.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called WAVES 2025 a “global microcosm” that converges different voices to create the future of the media and entertainment industry. He highlighted the need to balance tradition with new technology to both retain cultural heritage and equip young creators for meaningful global collaborations. He also advocated the use of AI in an ethical manner and stressed the need for a mindset change to address the needs of a global creative workforce.

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stressed culture as the foundation of creativity, and more incentives for production of local content. He suggested co-production agreements, co-production funding arrangements, and multilateral collaborations as essential to ensuring cultural harmony and shared creative ownership. The focus was not only on content production but also on establishing systems that allow for sustainable development across the world’s media.

One of the principal results of the summit was the endorsement of the Global Media Dialogue 2025 Declaration, an extensive master plan for the future of global media collaboration. The declaration sets the stage for media and entertainment as critical drivers for world harmony, especially in the post-pandemic era with increasing digital interdependence.